India-Latvia CEP (HOM ppt)

1.

India's Cultural Ecosystem
The Cultural Industry as a Vehicle for Soft Power
18 May 2026

2.

INDIA PAVILION • 61ST LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA • 2026
Geographies of Distance:
Remembering Home
Curated by Dr. Amin Jaffer | Isolotto, Arsenale, Venice
9 May – 22 November 2026 | India’s return after 7 years
FEATURED ARTISTS
Alwar Balasubramaniam — Clay & soil from Tamil Nadu; memory and
environmental change
Sumakshi Singh — Thread constructions evoking demolished Delhi home
Ranjani Shettar — Gravity-defying papier-mâché and natural materials
Skarma Sonam Tashi — Ladakhi architecture in recycled materials
Asim Waqif — Immersive bamboo and repurposed material installations
“The pavilion explores home not as a fixed physical location, but as an emotional
space carried within the self—a repository of culture, personal mythology and
emotion.” — Dr. Amin Jaffer, Curator
Presented by Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India | NMACC | Serendipity Arts

3.

Featured
Artworks —
India Pavilion,
Venice
Biennale 2026
https://www.instagram.com/p/
DYHIAasmSkD/?igsh=aTA5
Z2Y3c2VlaDB1

4.

India's Soft Power Landscape
Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025
30th
Global Soft
Power Rank
12th
Culture &
Heritage
Source: Brand Finance, February 2025
6th
Arts &
Entertainment
13th
Global
Familiarity
3rd
Future Growth
Potential
16th
Overall
Influence

5.

Yoga for Wellness and
Well being of all
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”
From ancient practice to global movement
190+
Countries observe International Day of Yoga
300M+
Expected participants in IDY 2026
175
UN member states endorsed the 2014
resolution
$107B global yoga market value, growing at 9.4% annually
"Yoga is free from copyrights, patents and royalty payments." — PM
Modi, UN HQ, 2023
Source: UN, Ministry of Ayush, 2025-2026

6.

Institutional Framework
Key government bodies driving cultural diplomacy
Ministry of Culture
And I & B
Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA)
Implements Global Engagement
Scheme, administers Festival of
India, and promotes the creative
economy through its various
institutions and initiatives like
WAVES 2025 Summit.
Manages bilateral Cultural
Exchange Programmes with 85
countries. Drives yoga diplomacy,
diaspora engagement, and
multilateral cultural cooperation
via BRICS, G20, SCO.
24 Institutions under Ministry of
Culture promoting various verticlas
of Culture.
Public Diplomacy Division
ICCR
Diaspora Connect
Indian Council for
Cultural
Relations (ICCR)
Founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad. Operates Cultural
Centres worldwide. Manage 4047
scholarship slots annually for
foreign students. Organizes
Cultural Festivals.
"True diplomacy must engage with people, not just policies."
— Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Founder of ICCR
Source: Ministry of Culture, PIB, 2024-2025

7.

The Orange Economy
India's creative industries as economic and cultural powerhouse
WAVES 2025 Summit
Hosted in Mumbai, attracting 10,000+ delegates, 1,000 creators,
300 companies, and 350+ startups. Business transactions exceeded
₹1,328 crore.
"Create in India, Create for the World"
— Prime Minister Modi at WAVES 2025
M&E Sector Value
India's media & entertainment sector is valued at $28 billion (2025),
with projected growth to $100 billion. The sector expects to unlock
a $50 billion opportunity by 2029.
Source: UNCTAD 2024, WAVES 2025, FICCI

8.

India's Screen Industry
Film, television, and streaming as engines of cultural export
$61.2B
2.64M
6-7%
$17.5B
Total Economic
Contribution (2024)
Jobs Supported
Nationwide
Projected CAGR
(Next 4 Years)
Projected Revenue
by FY2029
Key Insights from MPA-Deloitte Report (2025)
Direct gross output of the screen sector reached $16.8 billion in 2024
With effective regulatory measures, growth could accelerate to 9-10% CAGR, pushing revenues to nearly $20 billion
Indian cinema achieving cross-border success — from RRR's Oscar win to global streaming reach
Maharashtra signed MoUs worth ₹8,000 crore during WAVES 2025
Source: MPA-Deloitte Report, WAVES 2025

9.

Cultural Exchange Programmes
Global Engagement Scheme
Organizes Festival of India performances abroad — folk
music, classical dance, theatre, and puppetry
Provides grants to Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural
Societies
Bilateral Agreements
Active CEPs with 85 countries, 17 under renewal
Fresh CEPs initiated with 88 new countries
Cooperation via BRICS, SCO, G20, BIMSTEC, SAARC, and
ASEAN platforms
Covers exchange of music & dance troupes, theatre festivals, museum
collaborations, monument conservation, and modern art exhibitions.
Source: Ministry of Culture, PIB December 2024

10.

India–Latvia Cultural Partnership
Bridging cultures through
diplomatic cooperation —
India and Latvia strengthen
ties through shared heritage
and mutual engagement.
India–Latvia Bilateral Relations | Cultural Diplomacy in Action

11.

Cultural Exchange Programme 2026–2029
Signed on 20 March 2026
by Ambassador Namrata S. Kumar and Deputy State
Secretary Zane Vagnere at Latvia's Ministry of Culture
in Riga
This landmark agreement provides the institutional
framework for structured bilateral cooperation across:
Performing arts & music exchange
Museum & heritage collaboration
Literary translation & publishing
Academic & research partnerships
Youth & student cultural exchanges
Film festival participation

12.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND
INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS
India
Role
Latvia
Role
Ministry of Culture
(MOC)
Cultural policy, CEPs,
Festival of India
Ministry of Culture
Cultural policy, bilateral
programmes
Ministry of External
Affairs
Diplomatic engagement,
ICCR
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Bilateral cultural treaties
ICCR and other institutes
under Indian MOC
Cultural promotion,
scholarships, Yoga
Latvian Institutes under
Latvian MOC
Promotion of Latvian
culture abroad
Training and Research
Institutes and Libraries
Research collaboration &
Academic partnerships
Latvian Council of
Science
Research collaboration &
Academic partnerships
Embassy of India, Riga
On-ground coordination
Embassy of Latvia, New
Delhi
Trade and cultural
facilitation

13.

India-Latvia
Shared Cultural Heritage & Linguistic Ties
Ancient connections
Modern Cultural Bridges
Indian Art in Riga finds a permanent space in
Riga Bourse Museum
Latvian folklore shows parallels with Vedic
traditions — the dainas (folk songs) echo Rigvedic
hymnal structures
Indian Cinema industry shot films in Latvia.
Indian Cinema making waves in Latvia
International Day of Yoga celebrated
annually with strong Latvian participation
Scholarly interest in India-Baltic connections
growing since the 19th century
Indian community of 5,000+ in Latvia fosters
grassroots cultural ties
Both cultures deeply value oral storytelling,
seasonal festivals, and nature worship.
Growing interest in Indian cuisine, and
traditional wellness practices
Both cultures have strong social and cultural value
systems.
Bhagavad Geeta Institute in Latvia actively
promotes Indian philosophy
Both cultures have strong traditions of promoting
mother tongues (language)
India Corner at National Library of Latvia
Latvian and Sanskrit share roots in the Proto-IndoEuropean language family

14.

Year 1 | 2026–2027 | Foundation Building
Implement CEP 2026–2029 framework. Launch Festival of India in Riga. Organize Indo-Latvian folk
dance exchange.
Begin translation of Rainis and Tagore works. Host first Indo-Latvian literary symposium.
Operationalize Indo-Latvia Film & Cultural Forum. Screen Latvian films at Indian festivals and vice
versa.
Initiate MOUs between the key institutes of the two countries for closer & deeper long-term cooperation
Year 2 | 2027–2028 | Deepening Engagement
Joint museum exhibitions (NGMA + Latvian Contemporary Art Centre). Expand yoga teacher exchange.
Indian craft workshops in Riga.
Publish first batch of translated works. Writer-in-residence programs in both countries. Digital archive
project launch.
First Indo-Latvian co-produced documentary. Joint animation workshop series. Latvian location scouting
tours for Indian producers.
Expand doctoral collaborations. Launch joint degree programs. Increase ITEC slots for Latvian scholars.

15.

Annual India-Latvia Cultural Festival institutionalized. Joint heritage conservation project.
Expand to Baltic-wide cultural
Year programming.
3 | 2028–2029 | Sustaining & Scaling
• Annual India-Latvia Cultural Festival institutionalized. Joint heritage conservation
project. Expand to Baltic-wide cultural programming.
• Second wave of translations. Establish Indo-Latvian Literary Prize. Joint booth at
Frankfurt Book Fair.
• Joint research centers established. Alumni network activation across both
countries.
• Large scale Cultural Festival/ Exhibition either in India or in Latvia
• Participation in large-scale events
• Preparation for the next three-year cycle programme

16.

Shillong Chamber Choir
From Meghalaya to the world — music as soft
power
2.6M
+
3
40+
Gold diplomas at
World Choir Games
Languages in their
repertoire
YouTube views on
Hey Jude | Tere Bina
Founded in 2001 by Padma Shri awardee Neil Nongkynrih in Shillong,
Meghalaya — rising from a conflict-torn region to global acclaim.
Winners of India’s Got Talent (2010), selected by ICCR to represent
India internationally, and performed for former US President Barack
Obama.
https://youtu.be/Vq7aa54xoCE?is=wOu0HL_SJ_T6m1oF
Thank You