"The entire gamut of bilateral relations including political, economic and commercial, cultural, energy partnership..." India and Trinidad & Tobago, where 42 per cent of the population is of Indian origin, share friendly relations based on historical and cultural linkages.

A multi-disciplinary festival of Buddhist arts and culture will bring to the capital performances and art from across Asia...The objective of the festival is to showcase influence of Buddhism in performing arts and traditions which have impacted not only India but other countries...

Accepting the award, Goel said, “The conferring of the degree is a recognition of the great work being done by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in the area of cultural diplomacy”...“The ICCR is using dialogue between societies toward achieving the ancient wisdom...

In a pioneering initiative to promote India's soft power, the Public Diplomacy Division of the external affairs ministry has launched a global video contest entitled 'India Is' that is open to anyone in the country and around the world.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has in recent days sought to use soft power to focus the attention of South Asian countries on the importance of stabilizing he region. At the recent SAARC summit in the Maldives, for example, the need for the peaceful rise of participating members was outlined in detail, using multiple economic levers such as most favoured nation status.

A growing tourism sector also contributes to creation of better awareness about the country in the world and helps enhance the country’s soft power.

It is the country of India that has the highest potential for soft power deployment in emerging markets, specifically in Africa for the following reasons...

Growing up in a diverse community in California, I enjoyed home-cooked Indian dishes, courtesy of my mother’s friends. I remember learning about India’s history and subsequently falling in love with its diverse culture and folklore, all during dinner. In retrospect, that was gastrodiplomacy at work.