It is soft power that will to a large extent make or unmake superpowers of the future. China and India are the obvious candidates to be considered as the future superpowers. India will have to pit itself against the might of the Chinese economic machine.

...economists and political scientists of the India Shining variety have often pitched the billion plus nation as a potential soft superpower . From the curry takeover of Britain to the global yoga industry to the Booker-winning skills of its literati -- every success story has been lauded to underline India's growing clout as a soft superpower.

India's metropolitan youth are gung-ho about the country's future and that's largely because of their immense belief in themselves. According to a recent poll, on the issue of which is India's biggest strength, 61% overall picked youth power, 16% each opted for "emerging economy" and "democracy" and 7% for "soft power".

Culture diplomacy has been increasingly used to enhance the exchange of ideas, values, and traditions, with the intention of fostering mutual understanding.The second edition of the Indo-US Printmaking Exhibition, which displays the printmaking works of over 120 artists of repute from the USA and India, was inaugurated in New Delhi.

The wonders of Incredible India are now available on the popular video sharing website Youtube. The public diplomacy division of the external affairs ministry's Youtube channel called 'Indiandiplomacy', will now feature films from the ministry's archives to showcase India's cultural diversity.

Soft power and diplomacy, particularly in entertainment, is something that America excels at. One of America’s greatest talents is the ability create something universal, but that can also be adapted and accommodate different interests and cultures.9

Navdeep Suri, joint secretary (public diplomacy) in the ministry, also unveiled ambitious plans to connect the youth and accelerate people-to-people contacts between India and Africa.

It remains to be seen if divergent views on support to farmers will have a negative impact, not just on the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round, but also on bilateral relations. On the soft-power side, France needs to attract more Indian scientists and students to its academic institutions.