New UK-India Cultural Agreement To Boost Creative Industries

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, May 3: The UK and India have signed a Programme of Cultural Cooperation, enhancing cultural exchange through the arts, heritage and creative industries, helping drive growth and opportunity.

India's Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the UK’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy signed on Friday the India–UK Programme of Cultural Cooperation.

Aimed at celebrating the deep-rooted bonds between our peoples, Shekhawat said "this partnership will aid nurture the voices of our youth, uplift emerging artists, and honour the cultural expressions of our diaspora as well as our marginalised communities."

Together, the Minister said "we’re building a living bridge of shared stories, creativity, and heritage that connects hearts across borders."

The agreement opens 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.

Lisa 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.”

Lisa Nandy, who is of Indian heritage, arrived on Thursday for a three-day visit to Mumbai and New Delhi.

She has been joined on the trip by a delegation of senior leaders from VisitBritain, the British Film Institute and the Science Museum, to drive further collaboration between British and Indian creative businesses and cultural institutions.

On Thursday the Culture Secretary delivered a keynote speech at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Her speech celebrating the living bridge that connects the UK and India showcased the strength and attractiveness of the UK’s film, TV, music and wider creative industries, one of the growth-driving sectors identified in the UK government’s Industrial Strategy.

The Culture Secretary then toured Yash Raj Films Studio, where some of the most popular Bollywood films with audiences in the UK are made. Both the UK and India boast rich cinematic traditions and share a deep mutual interest in each other’s storytelling cultures, and the Culture Secretary wants to see more collaboration between UK and Indian film productions.

The Culture Secretary also attended a marquee event at the British Council in Delhi, where she previewed performances from India’s Serendipity Arts Festival which is due to hold a mini festival in Birmingham in May and a large-scale event in London next year.

At the same reception, VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates launched the Starring GREAT Britain campaign in India, which will draw upon film and TV locations as a driver for inward tourism to the UK.

In the Okhla neighbourhood of Delhi, she toured boutique fashion houses and workshops and met a range of Indian fashion designers with UK links.

During her visit, the Culture Secretary also 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 met 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.
Earlier this week the Premier League announced it was opening a new office in Mumbai.

Implementation of the agreement 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, Natural History Museum, 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.

The UK will work with India to support best practice and expertise on heritage conservation, museum management and digitisation of collections - including making knowledge contained in South Asian manuscripts more widely accessible, and the protection of cultural property, with both nations committing to combat illicit trafficking of cultural artifacts.

VisitBritain forecasts a record 766,000 visits from India to the UK in 2025, up 7 percent on 2024, with travellers spending £1 billion - a 12 percent year-on-year growth.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has reported that British music exports to India experienced a significant 26.3 percent increase in revenue. This moves India into the top 20 biggest overseas territories for UK recorded music, and there have recently been tours by major British acts including Coldplay in January and Ed Sheeran in February.

The UK’s Plan for Change sets out milestones the UK Government aims to reach by the end of this Parliament.