Diplomacia Cultural de India. Observaciones sobre el primer mandato de Narendra Modi (2014 – 2019)

Abstract

India has had cultural and political resources that have been used for its international projection. Nonetheless, India did it in a deliberate way in the recent decades. Thus, in support of its political and economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy emerged as a tool to increase connectivity between peoples. All nations considered culture as an important component in their foreign policy, using it to spread a positive image. Consequently, India expressed its cultural diplomacy through its diaspora –as person-to-person influence and socialization of specific cultural narratives– the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Festivals of India and the “Incredible !ndia” campaign. The current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during his first term (2014-2019) promoted two new cltural expressions: the International Yoga Day and the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). Not only Modi understood the importance of the diaspora in cultural but also economic terms and managed to turn yoga into an "Indian brand". In any case, although cultural diplomacy was not a priority in his first term, its contribution to his foreign policy was undeniable.