Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, 27 June 2026, expressed admiration for the Indian diaspora in Seychelles after a traditional dance from Kutch, Gujarat, was performed as part of his airport welcome in the island nation, calling it an 'amazing cultural connect.'

Context

Posting on X during his visit to Seychelles, PM Modi wrote: 'Amazing cultural connect! The welcome at the airport in Seychelles included a dance from Kutch. The manner in which our diaspora has preserved and celebrated culture from different parts of India is appreciable.' The post was accompanied by an image from the airport welcome ceremony.

The performance underscored how members of the Indian diaspora in the western Indian Ocean region have maintained living traditions rooted in specific Indian regions — in this case, the Kutch district of Gujarat, renowned for its vibrant folk dance forms including Garba and distinct Kutchi cultural expressions.

Policy Backdrop

Diaspora cultural diplomacy has been a consistent thread in India's foreign policy toolkit for decades. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), established in the 1950s, has expanded its network of cultural centres abroad to promote and preserve Indian art forms across the globe.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention, first held in 2003, institutionalised the government's engagement with overseas Indians and has since served as a recurring platform to celebrate diaspora contributions — including the preservation of regional cultural traditions far from their places of origin. Successive governments have used such visible cultural gestures during state visits as markers of India's soft power, particularly in the Indian Ocean and African regions.

Under PM Modi, who has been in office since 2014, diaspora outreach has been elevated as a diplomatic priority, with overseas Indian communities frequently acknowledged during foreign visits as ambassadors of Indian culture and heritage.

Stakeholders and Impact

The Indian diaspora in Seychelles — a community with roots tracing back generations through trade and migration links between the Indian Ocean islands and the subcontinent — stands at the centre of this moment. Their decision to present a Kutchi folk dance as a state welcome reflects both community pride and the depth of cultural memory maintained across generations abroad.

Kutchi cultural performers and communities in Gujarat are also stakeholders, as such international visibility elevates the profile of a regional art form to a global audience. The gesture reinforces the role of diaspora communities not merely as economic contributors but as active custodians of India's intangible cultural heritage.

What's Next

Observers will watch for any follow-up cultural agreements or diaspora welfare announcements emerging from PM Modi's Seychelles leg of the visit. Cultural performances during state receptions often precede or accompany broader bilateral announcements on people-to-people ties, cultural exchange programmes, or community welfare initiatives.

The episode is also likely to be referenced at future editions of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention as an example of diaspora communities actively sustaining regional Indian traditions on the world stage — reinforcing India's broader soft-power narrative in the Indian Ocean region.