For the US, it’s McDonald’s and Madonna. For South Korea, it’s BTS and K-dramas. And for India? Alongside hard-nosed economic might and military prowess, soft power has come to define the rise of every major nation on the world stage. As a country gets more prosperous and its citizens access mobility, its culture also gains global currency, allowing it to stamp its influence on myriad realms, drive its economy and attract tourists. The world’s pre-eminent power for a long time, the United States (US), is the best known example of how compelling the imagery of soft power can be, allowing Washington DC to often achieve with a light touch (Hollywood, rock-and-roll, or even food) what blunt force could never. It is this lesson that newer entrants on the world stage, such as South Korea, have imbibed, pumping money and influence to propel their own marquee brands and activities to etch a distinct (and positive) impression for their respective national identities. Soft power — or the extent to which idiosyncratic cultural elements of a particular country were recognised as emblems worldwide — came to signify just how influential a country, or its cultural ambassadors, were. There is today virtually no country that can shape global affairs but has a negligible soft power footprint.
For a long time, India was a laggard in this respect. To be sure, this didn’t mean that the country didn’t have any outstanding cultural ambassadors, but that their impact was largely driven by their individual enterprise, not a systemic national push.
That might be changing. The grand celebrations of the International Day of Yoga on the lawns of the United Nations this week underlined the seriousness with which India was pushing its soft power brand. Since it successfully managed to designate June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014, this ancient practice has only expanded in influence and reach, propelled by the personal investment at the highest levels of the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India’s nascent soft power got a boost earlier this year with the success of RRR and The Elephant Whisperers at the Oscars. Still, for a country that houses the world’s largest movie industry, the potential to leave a strong cultural footprint is huge. Similarly, aspects of India’s food, traditions and way of life can become ubiquitous in the same way bubble tea, or anime has become. What is needed now is for the government and civil society to come together for a concerted push. India’s rise on the global stage can only be achieved if it leverages its soft power potential.
