india
![Photo courtesy of Trey Ratcliff via Flickr Creative Commons](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/softpower.jpg?itok=X60ZKyJq)
News headlines showcased this week how nations utilize cultural diplomacy and other soft power assets to brand themselves abroad.
For more than a month, students at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) have been on strike. The FTII is one of numerous institutions of higher learning funded by the government.
Pakistan has released a film which it hopes will enable it to step out of the shadow of India's world-famous Bollywood film industry. The film, called Bin Roye, has a budget to rival what its neighbour usually spends, and a plot that would not look out of place on Indian screens.
Describing India and the US as "indispensable partners" in the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region, the envoys of the two countries have said the bilateral collaboration can have a big impact on global peace and prosperity in the 21st century.
A former Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Singh, who held various portfolios as a Union Minister, said while India expands her presence globally through political and economic engagements, it also needs to focus on forging relations through cultural diplomacy.
![Photo reprinted courtesy S Pakhrin, via Flickr https://flic.kr/p/qecP72 The 2014 Deepavali celebration in New York City](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/15901981569_0411b4f86b_k.jpg?itok=-ADgSkhO)
CPD Research Fellow Deborah Trent on the Indian diaspora in the U.S. and its role in PPPs
The author also advocates for the revision and restart of India’s Look North Policy which is under hibernation since decades. India as a major regional and global power cannot leap-frog to the global high table without demonstrating effective and timely initiatives at the regional level, and Central Asia is an important constituent of this region.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday termed terrorism and climate change as the biggest problems faced by the world saying the solutions to these can be found in Mahatma Gandhi's life and ideals. [...] Modi also expressed hope that people of Turkmenistan will learn about the ideals and life of Mahatma Gandhi.