The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has played a pivotal role in fostering reciprocal comprehension and upholding cultural ties between India and other nations. The inception of ICCR dates back to April 9, 1950, when Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, the inaugural Education Minister of Independent India, laid its groundwork. This event signifies the inauguration of India’s supple authority diplomacy, a pivotal element of the nation’s external strategy.
Through the establishment of Cultural Centers worldwide, ICCR aspires to initiate, revitalize, and fortify cultural relationships and mutual understanding between India and other nations. The Council executes its mandate of cultural diplomacy through a diverse array of endeavors, including the arrangement of cultural festivals within India and overseas, financial patronage of cultural institutions throughout the nation, and sponsorship of individual artists in realms such as dance, music, photography, theater, and the visual arts.
Furthermore, ICCR administers the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, an initiative instigated by the Government of India in 1965. Over time, the Indian government has extended scholarships to numerous foreign scholars under the auspices of the Indian Council for Cultural Research, thereby augmenting educational connections.
ICCR has formalized its collaboration with provincial administrations and forged memoranda of understanding with seventeen state governments. Oversight of the Council’s operations rests with its three statutory bodies—General Assembly, Governing Body, and Finance Committee—and it operates through a worldwide network of cultural hubs and India’s Diplomatic Missions and Posts overseas. Presently, there exist 37 Indian Cultural Centers across the globe, closely affiliated with Indian Embassies and helmed by directors.
The essence of ICCR’s principal maxim is to nurture concord and stimulate person-to-person dialogues between India and other nations, thereby fostering cultural exchanges and enhancing relations with countries and their populace.
The council furnishes a platform for the promotion of Indian art, theater, instrumental and vocal music of the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions, as well as folk art forms, to international audiences. ICCR facilitates dynamic debates and exchanges between scholars and enthusiasts of Indian languages, culture, and heritage by orchestrating symposiums, conventions, and seminars abroad.
Indeed, it contributes to the construction of an affectionate and enduring portrayal of India and propagates India’s soft influence globally through the dissemination of its legacy, principles, and philosophy. ICCR assumes a pivotal role in advocating cultural diplomacy and nurturing reciprocal understanding between India and other nations.