The adoption of 21 June as the International Yoga Day by the United Nations signifies the support that recent diplomatic endeavours of the government have evoked on the world stage, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

The business potential of the globally popular ancient practice makes the newly created ministry easier to justify.

India's prime minister is proposing a new addition to the lengthy list of annual U.N. observances: World Yoga Day. In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extolled the therapeutic powers of yoga and said it could help tackle global problems.