Most often, we concentrate on exchange of business, technology and know-how," says Peter Deubet, deputy director-general of the chamber of commerce. "However, we do promote cultural exchange between the two countries as well. There is more to Indo-German connections than automobiles and engineering.

China and India have declared 2011 as the "Year of China-India Exchange", during which each side will invite 500 youths from the other side for a visit.

The public diplomacy division of India's ministry of external affairs is launching a major initiative aimed at encouraging individuals and countries to think of India in interesting, pervasive and positive ways. This is being done through a global video challenge themed "India is...Global Video Contest."

In the last few years, India has deftly indulged in Bollywood promotion in China, part of soft power diplomacy that both sides feel help in creating a positive atmosphere for nurturing bilateral ties that often get entangled in sensitive issues.

It is one of India's wildly successful exports and a symbol of the country's soft power. But the curry is no longer simply "Indian" . It has become as much English or Scottish as it is Thai or Samoan. Once associated with the kitchens of the subcontinent, the curry's aroma now wafts across continents effortlessly, often taking on a life of its own.

...[a] full-blown geopolitical rivalry cannot occur on one dimension only – it needs to go beyond, say, a military capabilities competition to include diplomacy, economics and even soft power.

There has been a flurry of activity on the public diplomacy front in India recently...From international conferences to social media campaigns, the Public Diplomacy Division of the Government of India is in overdrive to shape a desired perception of India across the world.