Harsh Goenka: Maximize India’s soft power by focusing on the subtle art of influence

Soft power, as defined by Joseph Nye, is the ability to shape global preferences not through force or finance, but through attraction. Think Hollywood, Harvard and hamburgers. Think K-pop, kimchi and Korean skincare. India’s version? It’s not manufactured in strategy rooms—it flows organically. 

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Our strength lies in our people, our stories and our soul. And that soul—rich with centuries of thought, art and philosophy—is finally finding its rightful audience. There is a quiet pride in the way India is stepping forward: not with fanfare, but with timeless flair.

Take cinema. Bollywood has long dazzled global audiences with its colour, drama and emotion. But if we want to truly export Indian cinema, we must move from masala to meaningful.

RRR showed us what’s possible. When we invest in production quality and universal themes, the world watches. Our regional cinema, from Kerala to Maharashtra, is a goldmine of storytelling. With the right subtitles, global distribution and festival presence, we can elevate Indian narratives to a global stage.

Now turn up the volume—India’s music is just as potent. From Ravi Shankar to A.R. Rahman, we’ve inspired the West before. But the next wave won’t ride on nostalgia. It needs structure. Korea didn’t accidentally create BTS—it built institutions, invested in talent and mastered digital promotion. Why not an IIT of music in India? A National Music Innovation Hub that supports young artists, fuses classical with contemporary and helps them ride the algorithms of Spotify and YouTube.

And then there’s food, perhaps the most delicious ambassador of all. Walk into any Indian restaurant abroad, and it’s the same script: butter chicken, biryani, naan. Wonderful, but narrow. India’s culinary landscape is kaleidoscopic—think Kashmiri haak, Gujarati undhiyu, Bengali shorshe ilish.

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To globalize this diversity, we need innovation in presentation and packaging. Think dosa wraps, millet salad bowls, Ayurveda-inspired drinks—food that tastes like home but fits the pace and palate of today’s world. Indian food doesn’t need to lose its soul to win the world. It just needs better styling.

Tourism and wellness are other Indian powerhouses. We’ve got temples older than time, landscapes that change every few hundred kilometres, and spiritual depth that can’t be bought or sold. But for all this to translate into global influence, the basics must work: cleanliness, signage, infrastructure, safety. A visitor shouldn’t have to navigate chaos to find calm. 

Yoga already has the world stretching in unison, but Ayurveda still sits on the sidelines. Imagine wellness centres that blend ancient practice with modern science. Retreats that attract the overworked, overstressed and health-conscious global traveller. From Rishikesh to Kerala, we can offer the world healing, not just through therapies, but through experiences. We must also re-imagine pilgrimage tourism in a form that’s not just religious, but also cultural and ecological. India’s spiritual geography is its strongest emotional map. Let’s curate it with care.

Now let’s talk about brand India. Beyond the Tatas and Taj, how many Indian brands are truly iconic abroad? Hardly any. We have the talent, the innovation and the craft, but need better storytelling. Strategic global stores, sustainable narratives and emotionally resonant branding can transform Indian products into cultural symbols. Whether it’s fashion, electric vehicles or vegan skincare, our brands must carry the flag, not just stock-keeping units.

But influence today is shaped less in summits and more on screens. Digital storytelling is India’s next diplomatic weapon. We must invest in young creators who can produce mini-documentaries on Indian innovation, virtual tours of heritage sites, or fun explainers on festivals. When the medium is the message, we must master the medium.

And yes, while cricket is our national religion, true sporting influence will come from diversity. From Neeraj Chopra’s golden throw to our chess prodigies, India is already emerging in global arenas. Let’s support these sports with infrastructure, funding and visibility. Our Olympic dream is a necessity to showcase India’s capacity host global events.

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Ultimately, India stands at an inflection point. We are not just a rising economic force. We are a civilization that blends the spiritual with the scientific, the traditional with the modern. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India as a Vishwaguru is not about preaching; it’s about quietly leading. Influence today is about attraction, not assertion. In the orchestra of global influence, India doesn’t need to be the loudest. We need to be the most compelling. A gentle force with deep roots. Because when power is soft, it lasts longer. Our story is unfolding. Let’s make sure it’s worth reading, sharing and remembering.

The author is chairman, RPG Enterprises.