Nandy signs cultural cooperation agreement with India

The UK’s arts and culture, creative industries, tourism and sport sectors are set to benefit from a major new cooperation deal with India, the government has said.

During a three-day visit to Mumbai and New Delhi last week, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who is of Indian heritage, signed a bilateral Cultural Cooperation Agreement with India’s Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

She was joined on the visit by a delegation of senior leaders from VisitBritain, the British Film Institute and the Science Museum as part of efforts to drive further collaboration between British and Indian creative businesses and cultural institutions.

DCMS said the agreement will “open the door for increased UK creative exports to India” and “enable more partnerships between UK and Indian museums and cultural institutions, helping to grow UK soft power”. 

Opportunity for economic growth

Nandy said: “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.

“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.

“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.”

Ian Blatchford, director and chief executive of the Science Museum Group, said the deal will further strengthen existing the Science Museum’s relationships with Indian cultural and scientific organisations.

These include the museum’s Injecting Hope exhibition relating to the rapid development of Covid vaccines currently on display at Science City in Kolkata as part of an international tour.

Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said his organisation will also to contribute to the new UK-India cultural partnership.

“It will increase our ability to loan more objects from our world-class collection and build strategic relationships with the booming Indian arts scene across design, fashion, photography and performance.”

The collaboration deal with India follows a similar arrangement with Saudi Arabia that was signed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in December despite concerns being raised over the country’s human rights record.