India’s global influence has had a long and complex history, from the dissemination of Hindu and Buddhist ideas across Asia, contributing to Arab and Islamic thought on mathematics, astronomy and other physical and metaphysical sciences, to the more recent export of human and intellectual capital to Western universities, transnational corporations and multilateral organizations both governmental and non-governmental.

As one of the world’s fastest growing economies and a vibrant, pluralist and secular polity, India offers unprecedented opportunities to project its soft power in a globalizing world. The role of the mass media in such an enterprise is crucial. In an age of mediated international relations, the perception of a country and its culture becomes an important brand, which can mitigate negative stereotypes but also distract from social realities.

This symposium brings together leading figures from India, the Indian diaspora and the UK to examine the cultural aspects of India’s growing global profile. The keynote speech by Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of India’s Parliament and former Minister of State for External Affairs, will set the scene for the day’s events. Dr Tharoor is an eloquent exponent of Indian soft power and has written and spoken about it in various fora, including giving a much-viewed TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) lecture on this topic. The keynote session will be followed by three themed panels featuring leading speakers: on diaspora, on India as a communication giant, and on Indian culture.

The 24-million strong Indian diaspora scattered around the globe has excelled in many spheres of life and enriched the cultural, economic and intellectual experience of countries like Britain. They have also made a significant contribution to India’s emergence as an economic and cultural power: the net worth of the Indian diaspora is estimated to be $300 billion and their annual contribution to the Indian economy valued at up to $10 billion. The panellists in this first session will focus on the cultural, journalistic and academic contribution of the Indian diaspora to India’s growing global presence.

The post-lunch session will take account of the revolution in information technologies and India’s position as a leading software producer, making it an important voice in global communication. According to industry estimates, the Indian entertainment and media industry is expanding rapidly: it will be worth $29 billion by 2012 with an annual growth rate of 18 per cent. Supporting this is the growing convergence between cultural industries and information technology services: despite the economic slump, IT exports from India will reach $59 billion by 2011. Speakers in this panel will address different dimensions of this communication power – its implications for the IT industry, foreign policy, as well as media and development.

The final session will examine how India’s culture is promoting its soft power. According to the UN’s Creative Economy Report 2010, India showed the largest growth in exports of creative goods during 2002-2008. Indian cultural products have a transnational reach, attracting consumers beyond their traditional South Asian diasporic constituency. The most widely circulated content is from India’s bourgeoning film industry – the world’s largest – producing on average 1,000 films annually and exporting to 70 countries.
The speakers in this session will explore the cultural, aesthetic and academic importance of Indian cinema, as well as the influence of India’s traditional culture in expanding its soft power.

The symposium is organized by the University of Westminster’s India Media Centre, part of the top-rated media research department in the UK. Launched in March 2010, it is the world’s first academic centre dedicated to research into one of the most diverse and dynamic media systems on the planet. One key research strand of the Centre is to examine how India’s growing soft power – its mass media, popular culture, cuisine and communication outlets – influences ideas and institutions outside India and beyond the diaspora.

The symposium will bring together leading figures from India and the UK to examine the cultural aspects of India’s growing global profile.

Keynote address: Dr Shashi Tharoor Member of Parliament; former Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information

Other speakers include:

• Shekhar Kapur: Eminent filmmaker
• Conrad Bird: Head of Public Diplomacy & Strategic Campaigns, FCO, UK
• Dr Kiran Karnik: Former Head of Nasscom, India

India as a Soft Power
Friday 18 February 2011
9.30am-5.30pm University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW