This article describes the cultural, educational and people-to-people links between India and Hungary: the Indian cultural centre in Budapest, festivals and film, yoga, exchange programmes and university partnerships, and the Indian community in Hungary. It draws on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) brief of July 2026.

How India is seen in Hungary

According to the MEA brief of July 2026, India is seen in Hungary as a country whose ancient culture and spiritual traditions, and whose academic and scientific excellence, especially in the "knowledge sector", are deeply attractive to ordinary Hungarians.

Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre

The Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre (ASCC) of the Embassy of India in Budapest is the main platform for Indian culture in Hungary. It was established in November 2010 and was known as the Indian Cultural Centre until 2014. It works under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi.

The ASCC offers year-round activities including yoga, dance, music and Hindi classes, Indian film screenings, lectures and discussions, seminars, workshops, exhibitions and celebrations of major Indian festivals. Its regular "India Knowledge Series" is a lecture-cum-discussion series on India's cultural and intellectual traditions. In 2023, under ICCR's BHARATIYAM programme, the ASCC held cultural outreach events in schools and universities in several Hungarian cities.

Festivals, film and stamps

The Ganga-Danube Cultural Festival was held in June 2016, with Indian dance troupes and artists. In February 2019, Magyar Posta issued a commemorative miniature sheet of four stamps, in collaboration with the Embassy, for the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Indian Film Festival was held at Puskin Cinema, Budapest, from 4 to 10 October 2018 and from 7 to 13 October 2019. Indian films were included in the Budapest Classics Film Marathon from 13-18 September 2022. The 10th Indian Film Festival in Budapest ran from 27 February to 1 March 2026 at the Metropolis Hall in Puskin Cinema, with free screenings of seven Indian films; the brief reports that all shows were full. The Mission has also held webinars and meetings to promote tourism to India.

International Day of Yoga

The International Day of Yoga (IDY) was first celebrated in Budapest on 21 June 2015. In 2024, the 10th IDY was marked in several Hungarian cities, with events at the premises of UN agencies including UNICEF, ILO, FAO, IOM and UNHCR. The main celebration was at Heroes' Square in Budapest, and a session was held aboard a boat on the Danube.

For the 12th IDY in 2026, on the theme "Yoga for Healthy Ageing", the ASCC organised more than 100 yoga events across Hungary. The main event was held on 21 June 2026 at the Dr. Koltai Jenő Sportközpont of the Hungarian University of Sports Science in Budapest.

Cultural and education agreements

The brief lists these agreements on culture and education:

  • MoU on a Cultural Exchange Programme, signed during Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to India in October 2013
  • Education Exchange Programme, signed in Budapest on 19 November 2014
  • MoU between Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) for a Hindi Chair at ELTE, September 2018
  • MoU on Cultural Exchange program for the period 2019-22, signed on 26 August 2019 during the visit of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar
  • MoU between Marwadi University, India, and the University of Public Service (UPS), Hungary, signed on 7 June 2022
  • MoU for Student, Staff Exchange Program and Master's Program between Semmelweis University, Budapest, and St. Joseph Dental College and Hospital, India, signed on 01 November 2022

Students and researchers

About 1500 Indian students study at universities in Hungary. Research scholars and scientists are exchanged from time to time under the two countries' exchange programmes, for periods ranging from three weeks to six months.

The Indian community

There are less than 8000 Indians living in Hungary. Most are ICT professionals, while some work in the manufacturing sector of Indo-Hungarian joint ventures. A few Indians are married to Hungarians and have settled permanently in Hungary.