Britain's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy, who is leading a delegation from the UK to India this week, signed a major new cultural cooperation agreement with Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi on Friday. "In the arts and creative industries, Britain and India lead the world and I look forward to this agreement opening up fresh opportunities for collaboration, innovation and economic growth for our artists, cultural institutions and creative businesses," Nandy was quoted as saying in a press release by the UK's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The UK-India Programme of Cultural Cooperation is aimed at enhancing two-way cultural exchanges through the arts and heritage and encouraging long-term partnerships between creative businesses and cultural institutions in both countries.
It will include the UK working with India to support best practices and expertise on heritage conservation, museum management and digitisation of collections.
Implementation of the new pact will involve the British Council in India and the Indian Ministry of Culture, with participation from major UK cultural institutions including Arts Council England, the British Library, the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum Group and the V&A Museum.
This has the potential for British museums to launch new partnerships on exhibitions or public programmes that engage the Indian diaspora in the UK, said the department.
The aim is to ensure knowledge contained in South Asian manuscripts is more widely accessible and the protection of cultural property, with both nations committing to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural artefacts.
"Growing up as a mixed-race child with proud Indian heritage, I saw first-hand how the UK's culture - from food, fashion and film to music, sport and literature - is enriched by the unique contribution of the Indian diaspora," Nandy said.
"It has given me a deep connection to India's culture and people and it is an honour to be visiting this magnificent country to forge a closer cultural partnership," the British Indian minister said.
On her first visit to India in her Cabinet role, Nandy is joined by senior leaders from VisitBritain, the British Film Institute (BFI) and the Science Museum to drive deeper collaborations in the creative sector.
On Thursday, she delivered a keynote speech at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, where she highlighted the strength and attractiveness of the UK's creative industries.
During a tour of Yash Raj Films Studio, where some of the most popular Bollywood films with audiences in the UK are made, the minister said she was keen to see more collaboration between UK and Indian film productions.
"My ambition is for our cooperation to lead a cinematic revolution that has impacts far beyond the screen. Both the UK and India boast rich cinematic traditions and share a deep mutual interest in each other's storytelling cultures," said Nandy.
"Films from India regularly account for around 30 per cent of non-English language releases in the United Kingdom, and there is a new wave of Indian independent cinema telling fresh stories to the world, but made with the United Kingdom... I see enormous potential for greater collaboration between our two countries," she said.
"While our successes in these sectors are driving growth in our economies, providing good quality jobs across every part of our countries, collaboration can take this to a whole new level," she added.
While in Mumbai, Nandy met female cricketers at the Sharad Pawar Sports Club, ahead of India hosting the Women's Cricket World Cup in October 2025.
On Saturday, she will meet football coaches involved in the Premier League Primary Stars programme in India, a partnership between the Premier League and the British Council to improve physical and sports education in primary schools. It follows the Premier League announcing plans to open a new office in Mumbai.
While in Delhi, besides her meetings with senior Indian government ministers, the Culture Secretary is also expected to meet Indian investors and business leaders.
VisitBritain, the country's tourism authority, forecasts a record 766,000 visits from India to the UK in 2025, up 7 per cent in 2024, with travellers spending GBP 1 billion - a 12 per cent year-on-year growth.
The UK-India Programme of Cultural Cooperation is aimed at enhancing two-way cultural exchanges through the arts and heritage and encouraging long-term partnerships between creative businesses and cultural institutions in both countries.
It will include the UK working with India to support best practices and expertise on heritage conservation, museum management and digitisation of collections.
Implementation of the new pact will involve the British Council in India and the Indian Ministry of Culture, with participation from major UK cultural institutions including Arts Council England, the British Library, the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum Group and the V&A Museum.
This has the potential for British museums to launch new partnerships on exhibitions or public programmes that engage the Indian diaspora in the UK, said the department.
The aim is to ensure knowledge contained in South Asian manuscripts is more widely accessible and the protection of cultural property, with both nations committing to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural artefacts.
"Growing up as a mixed-race child with proud Indian heritage, I saw first-hand how the UK's culture - from food, fashion and film to music, sport and literature - is enriched by the unique contribution of the Indian diaspora," Nandy said.
"It has given me a deep connection to India's culture and people and it is an honour to be visiting this magnificent country to forge a closer cultural partnership," the British Indian minister said.
On her first visit to India in her Cabinet role, Nandy is joined by senior leaders from VisitBritain, the British Film Institute (BFI) and the Science Museum to drive deeper collaborations in the creative sector.
On Thursday, she delivered a keynote speech at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, where she highlighted the strength and attractiveness of the UK's creative industries.
During a tour of Yash Raj Films Studio, where some of the most popular Bollywood films with audiences in the UK are made, the minister said she was keen to see more collaboration between UK and Indian film productions.
"My ambition is for our cooperation to lead a cinematic revolution that has impacts far beyond the screen. Both the UK and India boast rich cinematic traditions and share a deep mutual interest in each other's storytelling cultures," said Nandy.
"Films from India regularly account for around 30 per cent of non-English language releases in the United Kingdom, and there is a new wave of Indian independent cinema telling fresh stories to the world, but made with the United Kingdom... I see enormous potential for greater collaboration between our two countries," she said.
"While our successes in these sectors are driving growth in our economies, providing good quality jobs across every part of our countries, collaboration can take this to a whole new level," she added.
While in Mumbai, Nandy met female cricketers at the Sharad Pawar Sports Club, ahead of India hosting the Women's Cricket World Cup in October 2025.
On Saturday, she will meet football coaches involved in the Premier League Primary Stars programme in India, a partnership between the Premier League and the British Council to improve physical and sports education in primary schools. It follows the Premier League announcing plans to open a new office in Mumbai.
While in Delhi, besides her meetings with senior Indian government ministers, the Culture Secretary is also expected to meet Indian investors and business leaders.
VisitBritain, the country's tourism authority, forecasts a record 766,000 visits from India to the UK in 2025, up 7 per cent in 2024, with travellers spending GBP 1 billion - a 12 per cent year-on-year growth.
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