• India hosted the Global Buddhist Summit 2023 in New Delhi, which was organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation.
• The summit was attended by key figures from the global Buddhist community, including the Dalai Lama.
• The Delhi summit saw a diverse group of 171 foreign delegates from South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, and Taiwan, along with 150 delegates from Indian Buddhist organisations.
• It was also attended by prominent scholars, sangha leaders, and dharma practitioners.
• The summit was a way for India to project and connect with the Buddhist population around the world and to increase its soft power.

Buddhist diplomacy by India

India’s efforts in promoting Buddhist Diplomacy

• The Indian Government has been actively investing in its Buddhist diplomacy efforts with a focus on promoting tourism through the development of the Buddhist circuit.
• Prime minister of India has made it a point to visit Buddhist sites during his Southeast and East Asian visits.
• By hosting the Global Buddhist Summit 2023, the Indian government hopes to demonstrate its commitment to preserving and promoting Buddhist culture and heritage, as well as strengthening ties with the global Buddhist community.
• India recognises the importance of Buddhism as a means of conducting public diplomacy and has utilised it to its advantage.
• Buddhist diplomacy has the potential to showcase India as a responsible global power committed to peaceful cooperation and regional stability.
• India promotes greater understanding and cooperation between nations for shaping the region’s future.
• However, to maintain its edge over China, more action is needed.

Panchamrit principles

• The government’s Panchamrit principles include “Sanskriti Evam Sabhyata” which means cultural and civilizational links.
• These principles were also highlighted during the Delhi summit.

Buddhist Diplomacy in Asia

• 97% of the global Buddhist population is based in Asia.
• India and China compete to dominate the Buddhist heritage as a tool for soft power.
• India holds an advantage due to the faith’s origins in the country.
• However, despite being home to many key Buddhist sites, such as Bodhgaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar, India has struggled to attract Buddhist tourists, who tend to favour sites in Thailand and Cambodia.

Buddhist Diplomacy by China:

• China effectively used Buddhist diplomacy to engage with its neighbouring countries during the cold war.
• China is still using it to gain legitimacy for its One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative.
• In addition to that, it is continuously seeking to take control over the appointment of the next Dalai Lama, which would be a blow to India’s efforts to project its soft power through Buddhism.

Suggestions to Improve Buddhist Diplomacy

• India should continue promoting Buddhism at the highest levels of government, while also organising cultural events to showcase the country’s rich Buddhist history.
• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) could play a significant role in promoting such events within and outside India.
• India should work to strengthen its ties with key Buddhist institutions and leaders around the world.
• India also needs to utilise the reach of Bollywood in promoting its Buddhist heritage.
• China, with its influence over Hollywood, has completely dominated the narrative around Buddhism through cinema.
• India is behind in this domain, there have not been any efforts made through cinema.

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautam) was the first diplomat of peace, his teachings of peace and cooperation in these tough times can become the guiding light of Indian diplomacy on the world stage. India’s G-20 presidency could be used to promote Buddhist diplomacy on a bigger scale through various cultural meetings, especially as Buddhist teachings align with the motto of India’s G-20 presidency, ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.