The framework of cultural relations between Spain and India was established in 1982 through the signing of the cultural and educational agreement between both governments. Since then, Hispanists and Indologists have become the main and most long-lasting bridge for cultural exchange. Dance and music, with common roots and shared languages, have achieved great success through the creation of artistic encounter shows. However, the greatest bilateral impact has been on the film sphere with the shooting in Spain of the Bollywood movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and it opens a new frontier in digital platforms. Exchanges in the sports and welfare fields, still pending at the institutional level, have been strengthened at a private level both in football –with the opening of the LaLiga office in Delhi in 2016 or with the presence of Spanish players in the Indian Super League–, as in yoga, which has experienced great growth in Spain in recent decades. The renowned sports athletes, such as Carolina Marín, Viswanathan Anand or Rafael Nadal, continue to be the most successful vectors for mutual knowledge.
In this working document we analyze the cultural exchanges and artistic dialogue between India and Spain; the common roots and shared languages in music and dance; the work of the publishing houses, translators and cultural initiatives in literary exchanges; audiovisual collaboration and new digital opportunities; bilateral attraction through the spirit and values of sports; and football and yoga as assets of bilateral exchange.
