‘Yoga diplomacy’: How India is using it as a ‘soft power’
India leverages yoga as "soft power" diplomacy, promoting cultural exchange and wellness initiatives to strengthen international relations. The success of International Yoga Day, initiated by PM Modi, showcases yoga's global appeal. This strategy builds cultural bridges, boosts tourism and the economy, and fosters peace through shared values of health and well-being, enhancing India's international standing.
New Delhi: Diplomacy is no longer restricted to brainstorming sessions and discussions around the negotiating table; it also has a softer approach, which could be more engaging. India is harnessing yoga as a form of ‘soft power’ diplomacy, promoting cultural and wellness initiatives to bolster bilateral ties and international relations. It is also a way to promote India’s cultural heritage across the world.
Back in 1893, Swami Vivekananda during his to the US introduced Hinduism, including Yoga practice, to the West. Many yoga-centric initiatives were taken by various governments and individuals in the past. However, ‘Yoga diplomacy’ got a fresh impetus when in September 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the adoption of ‘an International Yoga Day’. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), he had said, "Yoga is not just exercise. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can also help us deal with climate change.” His words rang true, and the same year in December, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the ‘International Day of Yoga’ aimed at raising awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.
In 2023, while on a trip to the US, PM Modi led the yoga event at the UN headquarters in New York. At the event, PM Modi said that yoga is free from patents, royalty payments and copyrights. What was most remarkable about the event was that it brought over 180 countries together on a common stage. No easy feat! And it was India’s ‘soft power’ that helped achieve this.
‘Yoga diplomacy’ has helped India blend the global popularity of yoga with its diplomatic efforts to boost cultural, political, and economic relations with other countries. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gave a push to cultural diplomacy. Since the setting up of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in the 1950s, cultural diplomacy, of which yoga was a part, has come a long way. However, ‘Yoga diplomacy’ has now evolved into a global phenomenon, and become a powerful tool for India to display its ‘soft power’.
In 2019, most of India’s 191 embassies and consulates worldwide organised yoga sessions to commemorate the ‘International Yoga Day’. India also used the G20 presidency forum in 2023 to showcase Yoga and its benefits. Large-scale yoga demonstrations and mass yoga sessions were held which brought G20 delegations and participants from around the globe on one platform.
These moves speak long volumes about the huge thrust being given to the ‘soft power’. At an event in New Delhi some years back, Israel’s ambassador Ron Malka pointed out that Modi’s use of yoga as a tool of diplomacy is "working quite well” to enhance ties between the two countries. Walter Lindner, the German ambassador to India, said, "Yoga is a product which you can sell everywhere in the world.”
Building cultural bridges
"Let our motto be yoga for peace, harmony and progress,” PM Modi said some time back. Through yoga, India has been projecting its philosophy, values, and spiritual practices, helping to build cultural bridges. Through diplomatic channels, India promotes yoga, thereby boosting its cultural reputation and fostering positive international relations.
Notably, before the UNGA adopted the UN resolution for Yoga Day, India already had 177 co-sponsors. It included countries like US, Russia, UK, Germany and Japan. China also backed the resolution and co-sponsored it. ‘International Yoga Day’ has been boosting diplomatic relations by encouraging collaboration between governments, international organisations, and cultural institutions.
By holding yoga classes, workshops, camps and training sessions in different countries, India has not only improved its bilateral ties with them, but also brought communities together.
At present, India has deployed certified yoga teachers abroad at Indian missions and consulates to promote yoga globally.
Giving wellness push
India’s ‘Yoga diplomacy’ also promotes health and health diplomacy. It helps in forging strong relationships with health and wellness institutions across the world. Yoga can contribute in stress management and holistic living. Therefore, the diplomacy helps build stronger international ties based on shared values of wellness, peace, and personal development.
In 2017, the theme for ‘International Yoga Day’ was ‘Yoga for Health’, underlining the physical and mental benefits of Yoga. In 2019, the theme was ‘Yoga for Heart’, stressing the practice’s huge impact on cardiovascular health. In 2021, the theme was ‘Yoga for Well-being’. These themes have gone a long way in promoting yoga as a tool for improving overall health and well-being. Health is a universal issue and so people feel connected to it.
Today, a number of countries across the world, including the US, Japan, UK and Australia, have Yoga centers. India's diplomatic foray into Yoga practice has helped these countries recognise the ‘Power of Yoga’.
Promoting tourism, boosting economy
Rishikesh in Uttarakhand is considered the global hub for yoga. Many yoga training camps are held through the year which draws a lot of tourists. Varanasi is another city which is a center of yoga practice. Meditation, spirituality, and wellness lie at the heart of yoga.
As more and more people get drawn to these centres and hubs, tourism in these places sees a surge. Today, in Rishikesh and Varanasi, we can see mushrooming of yoga retreats. Tourism boosts the economy and generates jobs. According to some reports, yoga studios and fitness centers make up 40 percent of India's wellness market, which is valued at Rs 499 billion.
In 2022, the global yoga market was valued at around $105.9 billion, and it is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 percent between 2023 and 2028. India will lead this market from the forefront.
Fostering peace
Yoga’s potential to usher in mutual understanding and peace is immense. The theme of ‘International Yoga Day 2018’ was ‘Yoga for Peace’, while that of 2023 was ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family). These themes reflect the power of yoga to bring about world peace, harmony and unity.
PM Modi once said that nearly every conversation he has with a world leader begins with yoga, and there is hardly any dignitary who has not engaged with him on the topic of this wellness practice. ‘Yoga diplomacy’ is India’s soft power, but it is making a huge impact on nations across the globe. It is not just being embraced to boost wellness but as an ice-breaker too!