As the world's largest democracy, with a vibrant press and thriving entertainment industry, India has huge soft power advantages over China and its state-controlled media. The implication is India can take advantage of that goodwill as Asia's two giants battle for influence in the region and around the world.

A hundred member Indian youth delegation led by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports M S Gill will visit China as part of a bilateral initiative to further the ties between youths.

The new channels can be broadly classified into two categories –– lifestyle and news & current affairs. BBC, Discovery and Fox will bring channels on lifestyle, while media houses from Canada, the US, the UK, France and Japan will come up with news and current affairs channels.

In an effort to build understanding between cultures, The Handshake Concert is a creative initiative in ‘Music Diplomacy’ to celebrate friendship and culture. Well-known musicians such as Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Lama Tashi, Cultural Vibrants, OFF, Nise Meruno, Asin Shurhozelie, Tetseo Sisters, Medusa and Soulmate will be performing at The Handshake Concert in New Delhi on World Music Day on June 21.

Any development in the relations between India and the United States of America is preceded by great hype. This has been the pattern ever since Bill Clinton’s visit to India as president, the first such visit of a US president in decades. It is hardly surprising then that the recently concluded first strategic dialogue between the two countries should generate great expectations.

The recently-concluded US-India Strategic Dialogue in Washington is yet another step towards the enlarging relationship between the two nations. The talks were comprehensive and not specific in nature, with both the sides debating and discussing on a range of bilateral and global issues of concern

India has said that, for bridging the "trust deficit" with Pakistan, it was ready to address all issues of mutual concern through dialogue and peaceful negotiations and called for "creative solutions" to solve the problems that have bedevilled the bilateral relationship for decades.

Now it is India’s turn to complain that Obama is too much the Pacific president and not enough the Indian Ocean president. Whereas the Indian government is not officially complaining, what might be called the Indian foreign policy establishment of business leaders, strategic thinkers, journalists and former diplomats are.