# India’s cultural diplomacy now covers 98 countries 2026-08-19T15:50:46+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told the Lok Sabha on Monday that India is strengthening cultural diplomacy through the Global Engagement Scheme (GES), an umbrella initiative to expand bilateral and multilateral cultural cooperation. Under the International Cultural Exchange Programme (ICEP), India has valid Cultural Exchange Programmes with 98 countries, covering culture, museums, heritage and performing arts. GES has four components: ICEP, Project Mausam, Brihattar Bharat, and a scheme for safeguarding intangible heritage. The ministry also uses this framework for India's participation in BRICS, G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BIMSTEC. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), under the Ministry of External Affairs, complements these efforts by promoting Indian culture overseas through cultural centres and festivals. ## Indian Opinion Analysis This is a significant expansion from earlier years when India's cultural exchange programmes were far fewer. With 98 partner countries, India now covers nearly half the world's nations. The GES combines heritage conservation with contemporary arts, a shift from purely folkloric showcases. The inclusion of Project Mausam, which links Indian Ocean rim cultures, reflects strategic maritime diplomacy. The real test will be budget allocation and implementation. The next date to watch is the release of the Ministry of Culture's annual report, which will detail expenditure under GES and number of artists exchanged. ## Coverage - ddindia.co.in Frames the announcement as a positive achievement of government policy, with no critical or alternative perspective. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: BRICS, G20, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, ICCR, Lok Sabha, Ministry of Culture Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indias-cultural-diplomacy-now-covers-98-countries/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indias-cultural-diplomacy-now-covers-98-countries/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/