Indian Prime Minister Narendra​ Modi​ is a big fan of yoga. He calls it "India's gift to the world" and recommends people make yoga as much a part of daily life as their mobile phone. But yoga is also a key asset in Modi's push to promote and develop India's soft power....

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pushed Buddhism diplomacy during his recent trip to Hanoi. India had announced special annual scholarships for Vietnamese students in advanced Buddhist studies at Masters/Doctoral level and scholarships of a year for study of Sanskrit at Indian institutes for Buddhist Sangha members.  

Indian Academy of Fine Arts, established in pre-Partition days, has extended invitation to artists from Pakistan for joint performances and participation in various competitions including painting, sculpturing, fine arts etc. aiming to bolster the relations between two nations which have taken a backseat in recent past.

In response to popular demand, the Embassy of India, Belgrade has launched a new website in Serbian language dedicated to the promotion of Brand India in Serbia. The website has been interlinked with Embassy’s other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Mobile App. This follows from the launch of the first India-Serbia Business Forum on June 27, 2016 in Belgrade. 

n sync with PM Narendra Modi government’s religion diplomacy, which plays a pivotal role in its foreign policy, India has offered help to Vietnam to restore a Hindu temple in the country belonging to the Champ civilisation. The diplomacy comes at a time when Modi is visiting Vietnam capital Hanoi. The Myson temple has a striking resemblance to Indian temples built during the same period.

In a day and age when the application of armed forces to resolve disputes between countries becomes less probable, the concept of "soft power" takes on a life of its own. Amongst the tools of political influence, the role of cinema as a soft power cannot be undermined. Bollywood’s ability to shape narratives in the course of diplomacy gives soft power a whole new connotation and also redefines "the best propaganda is not propaganda" dictum.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is in Delhi for talks, his second visit since he attended the India-Africa conference last October. In an e-mail interview to The Hindu’s Diplomatic Editor Suhasini Haidar, he speaks of cooperating with India on regional challenges from terror, indicating a shift from the critical line adopted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).