Culinary Diplomacy: How Indian Food Festivals Boost Tourism and Trade

What if diplomacy can be dished out on a banana leaf or served sizzling straight from a tandoor? What if bridges between countries could be built, not just with trade treaties but over shared meals of savoury Indian cuisine? This isn’t hypothetical anymore, today a nation’s cuisine speaks louder than speeches and the memories it creates have more impact than news headlines. In this era of culinary diplomacy, food has emerged as quiet but potent instrument of global relations, and India is just starting to realise the full potential of a well-planned culinary experience.

The rise of culinary diplomacy

In older times, food has always been a subtext to trade, power and cultural exchange. The Silk Route in many ways was also a spice route which made it possible to distribute Indian spices in Mughal courts, Persian ports and European kitchens. Today the stakes are higher and opportunities broader. For instance, ‘Global Thai’, an initiative from Thailand, and ‘Goût de France’, a food festival from France, have shown the world how culinary culture can shape the way forward and attract masses to their centres.

How does culinary prowess affect trade and exports?

Indian culinary diplomacy acts as a trade booster. When foreigners fall in love with Indian products, the demand for these products rises, resulting in increased exports. Recently, Indian spice exports hit new levels in FY25, surpassing 18 lakh tonnes and recording a value of Rs. 39,994 crore (US$ 4.66 billion dollars), an 8% increase compared to FY24 as per Spices Board India. At the same time, tea exports were at their 10-year high, with FY24 exports reaching 255 million kilograms, valued at Rs. 7,930 crore (US$ 924 million), about 10% over the previous year. On a larger scale, in FY23, India ranked as the eighth largest exporter of agricultural goods globally.

The Indian culinary tourism market as of March 2025 is valued at Rs. 1,17,573 crore (US$ 13.7 billion) and is expected to increase to Rs. 5,02,905 crore (US$ 58.6 billion) by 2035, with a forecasted compound annual growth rate of 15.6% according to Future Market Insights. This trend in tourism and increasing interest in Indian culinary tourism has been mainly driven by an increasing desire on the part of international and local travellers to seek authenticity and real down-to-the-root food experiences. The tourists of today are no longer only aiming to find food but also various levels of regional and cultural food heritage in India. It is this preference of local, authentic food at traditionally defined levels that are influencing travel down the board.

Additionally, Indian food choices including street eats, home-cooked thalis and heritage kitchen fare have come into the global limelight due to the boom of food bloggers, social media creators and food review sites. These media channels have helped the rich Indian culinary world more visible and accessible and even desirable by home and international consumers. This results in transforming the local delicacies into travel-worthy tourism products.

From local to global: Serving Indian delicacies on every plate

India’s culinary diplomacy is emerging on two fronts, local celebration and global promotion. And at the heart of both lies food festivals. They bring together chefs, tourists, diplomats and of course people from all over the world.

Big festivals such as the National Street Food Festival in Delhi put India’s culinary diversity on full display. In December 2023, the festival attracted more than 70,000 visitors and featured street food from 28 states, with more than 120 stalls. From Kashmir’s Yakhni to Nagaland’s smoked pork, food stalls doubled as cultural embassies. Visitors didn’t just eat; they travelled across India through taste.

The Delhi Mango festival, organised by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), is an annual festival carried out for the past 32 years. The festival showcases more than 500 varieties of mangoes. Moreover, to entertain and engage visitors, the festival also features events related to displaying the variety of mangoes, mango-eating contests, quiz on a theme, cultural dances and writings slogans. The festival sees enthusiastic participation from a wide range of stakeholders, including government bodies, private orchard owners and individual growers who keep coming every year to exhibit their produce and promote the diversity of mangoes.

Meanwhile, Goa’s Food and Cultural Festival promotes music, seafood and coastal heritage into an immersive and noteworthy experience. The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa actively promotes this event at both domestic and international travel marts, aiming to attract visitors from across the globe to experience Goa’s rich culinary and cultural offerings.

On the global front, food fests are being used as a medium to introduce Indian cuisine to the local people.

• In Hanoi, Vietnam, a weeklong Indian food festival was organised by The Embassy of India in Hanoi and Sheraton Hanoi Hotel in November 2024. It brought Bengal’s ‘panch phoron’ and Kerala’s coconut-infused curries to Vietnamese palates.
• In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Indian chefs served Awadhi ‘biryani’, ‘nihari’ and ‘halwas’ as part of the “Taste of Incredible India” event.
• Events such as World Food India 2024 brought together 800+ international buyers from over 90 countries and contained 20 country pavilions. The event attracted over 85,000 visitors and had 1,500 exhibitors from all over India.

India’s embassies are becoming diplomatic kitchens, where flavour is being used as a language of connection.

The G20 dinner: A masterclass in subtle diplomacy

A turning point came during the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi. World leaders were not only greeted by shaking hands and speeches but also with a sustainable and vegetarian menu based on diversity. Special dishes such as jackfruit galette, saffron lotus stem ‘pulao’ and ragi ‘laddoos’ were not only delicious but also chosen as a part of the Indian push towards millets, supporting climate-conscious agriculture and the International Year of Millets.

Why it matters? food as a fuel for tourism

Food has become a potent force in the world of tourism, a window into the soul of a nation in an age when travellers want to experience more than regular tourist sites. A country of magnificent food diversity and with centuries-old food traditions, India has no match in this area. Every regional meal involves a story, every festival plate becomes a memory, and every shared meal sparks a connection.

What is more important, with the increasing curiosity for Indian cuisine on the palates around the world, the country is catering to this growing awareness and in turn, generating employment, enhancing its exports and projecting itself as a global culinary hotspot. A more strategic approach to food as part of tourism and trade policies can help India transform not only a rich cooking tradition into a strategic national resource, but a resource that feeds the economy, enriches culture and tells the story of India, one delicious bite at a time.

FAQs

What is culinary diplomacy?

Culinary diplomacy refers to the use of food as a tool to build cultural connections, strengthen foreign relations and promote national identity on a global stage.

How is culinary diplomacy shaping India's global image?

Culinary diplomacy in India is being used to showcase the country’s diverse food heritage at international events and summits, helping position India as a cultural and gastronomic powerhouse.

How is the Indian government supporting culinary diplomacy?

Through embassies, the Incredible India campaign and international events like World Food India, the government promotes Indian cuisine globally as part of its soft power strategy.

How much is India's culinary tourism market worth in 2025?

India’s culinary tourism market as of March 2025 is valued at Rs. 1,17,573 crore (US$ 13.7 billion) and is projected to reach Rs. 5,02,905 crore (US$ 58.6 billion) by 2035, growing at a 15.6% CAGR as per Future Market Insights.

What has been the impact of the 2023 G20 dinner on Indo-global relations?

The 2023 G20 Summit showcased a millet-rich, vegetarian menu to global leaders, highlighting India’s culinary diplomacy and commitment to sustainable food systems.