Yoga, education, Bollywood add to India's increasing footprints in Gulf, Arab countries

Amid global tensions triggered by the US tariff changes, India is bolstering its soft power, particularly within the Gulf region. The Indian Institute of Management Ahmadabad recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE government to establish a new campus in Dubai, following in the footsteps of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi's Abu Dhabi campus. This move is part of India's strategy to deepen its educational and cultural ties with the Gulf, where it has also established the Central Board of Secondary Education's first regional office and a Centre of Excellence for educator training. By offering internationally recognised academic programmes, India aims to cater to the region's large Indian diaspora and enhance its image as a hub of quality education and innovation. This strategy aligns with New Delhi's objective of strengthening people-to-people ties and promoting goodwill through soft power diplomacy. This approach was evident at the first India-Arab Universities’ Presidents’ Conference, which focused on higher education, skill development, digital platform usage, and joint scientific and technological