This article describes cultural cooperation, academic and youth exchanges, and the Indian community in Portugal. The information comes from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of November 2022. Several events in the brief are listed without a year, and they are reported here as the brief gives them.

Cultural agreement

According to the MEA brief of November 2022, an MOU on Cultural cooperation was signed on 24 June 2017, during PM Modi's visit to Portugal. The brief states that a large number of cultural performances, youth and literary exchanges, seminars and art exhibitions have been held across Portugal.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav events

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, India@75, is described in the brief as an initiative of the Government of India to commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the history of its people, culture and achievements. Events held in Portugal under it included an LED Tricolour projection on the statue of King Joseph I in the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon on India's Independence Day. There were also lectures on Yoga and Ayurveda, and events marking Gandhi Jayanti, Ekta Diwas, Mahaparinirvan Diwas, Parakram Diwas and Tagore's birth anniversary. A special iconic week in January 2022 showcased Indian art, dance, music and cuisine.

International Day of Yoga

On 21 June, the 8th International Day of Yoga was celebrated at the Belém Tower gardens in Lisbon, under the theme "Yoga for Humanity". The event was organised with the Municipality of Lisbon and the Portuguese Yoga Federation, and the brief records around 400 yoga enthusiasts.

In his message for the day, President Rebelo de Sousa welcomed the growing number of Portuguese citizens who practise yoga, recalling "the importance of activities associated with the promotion of physical, mental, spiritual and intellectual well-being".

Community cultural events

The brief lists events organised with Indo-Portuguese community groups:

  • a Punjabi Mela
  • a National Handloom Day exhibition by ISHA Artes
  • a homage to Mahatma Gandhi by the Portuguese flautist Rão Kyao
  • a Gandhi Festival hosted by the Casa da Índia association, with workshops and events on Yoga, Ayurveda, Indian gastronomy, dance and art
  • a virtual narration of Mahatma Gandhi's 'Global Leadership for Peace, Non-Violence & Satyagraha' by the speaker Shobhana Radhakrishna
  • the Gandhi Citizenship Prize, first announced in December 2019 during PM Costa's visit to New Delhi
  • Durga Puja, Diwali and India@75 celebrations by the Bhoomi Association

At the annual Diplomatic Bazaar organised by the Portuguese Diplomatic Families' Association on 11-12 November, an Indian stall sold Indian clothing, handicrafts, jewellery, snacks and tea. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited the stall and was presented with a piece of traditional Indian headgear.

The Portuguese language

India's association with the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries has led to several events. World Portuguese Language day was celebrated in New Delhi in May 2022, in collaboration with CPLP member countries, and was attended by MoS Meenakshi Lekhi. At the time of the brief, a 'Lusophone Cultural Week' was planned in Goa from 4-6 December 2022, with cultural troupes from all the CPLP member countries.

Academic and youth exchanges

The brief states that regular academic exchanges were held until the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions that followed. Indian diaspora youth from Portugal have taken part in the 'Know India' Programme (KIP) and the 'Know Goa' Programme (KGP). In 2022, a young doctor from the Indo-Portuguese community was selected for the 62nd Edition of KIP, held in India from 01-21 November 2022 with Rajasthan as partner state.

Under the MoU in the field of Youth Exchange & Sports, a 10-member Indian youth delegation visited Portugal in January and February 2018. A 10-member Portuguese youth delegation visited India in September 2019 in return.

The Centre for Indian Studies at the University of Lisbon, started in 2016, is described in the brief as the first centre in Portugal dedicated to the study of India. It hosts a Distinguished Lecture series on art and culture and organises a conference on Hindi, and many students take the Hindi classes it offers.

The Indian community

As of November 2022, the brief describes Portugal as having a sizeable Indian-origin diaspora, including more than 25000 Indian nationals and around 9500 OCI/PIO card holders. The community is mainly concentrated in the Lisbon metropolitan region, the Algarve region in the south and Porto in the north.