New Delhi, May 03 (ANI): UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed ongoing talks with India over artefacts like the Kohinoor. She said both nations aim to ensure shared access and benefit from historical items dating back to a different era.On any communication between India & UK on 'Kohinoor', UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy says," We've been talking between the UK and India for quite some time about the way that we think we can collaborate much more closely together to make sure that people both in the UK and in India can benefit from and have access to many of the cultural artefacts that stem back to the very different era. This is something that I've discussed with my counterpart."
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00:00There is an Indian demand regarding the return of Kohinoor to India.
00:04Is there any kind of conversation happening between the two sides?
00:08We've been talking between the UK and India for quite some time
00:11to make sure that people both in the UK and in India can benefit from
00:16and have access to many of the cultural artefacts that stem back to the time, very different era.
00:23That's something that I've discussed with my counterpart.
00:26Welcome to India. This is your first visit to India in your current role.
00:30How has it been going and what are your upcoming meetings?
00:32Well, I'm here to attend the WAVES conference and also to sign a cultural cooperation agreement
00:37between the UK and India. It is very exciting for me to be here.
00:42Not only is this a very personal visit for me, I'm the first ever Labour Cabinet Minister of Indian Heritage,
00:48but it's been an absolute delight to be able to signal how much we want to work with India
00:55to celebrate the great successes in film and TV, sports, music, fashion of our great nations
01:02and to take that to the next level through greater collaboration.
01:05Ma'am, as you mentioned, during your India visit you have signed a bilateral cultural cooperation agreement.
01:11Can you talk to us more about that? How will it benefit both India and UK?
01:15How do you see India-UK cultural connection?
01:17Well, across the creative industries, the UK and India really excel, whether it's film, fashion, TV, music, gaming.
01:25We're really good at these things and we export many of those products to the world.
01:29But we know that by cooperating more closely we can do more and we can achieve more together.
01:35Our Science Museums Group has been working with the National Science Museums Group here
01:40to get joint collaborations, joint exhibitions, tour different objects,
01:46make sure that people in India and the UK can really benefit from that.
01:50And we think that's the model for how we can cooperate much more closely
01:54across all the other creative industries as well.
01:57India is known for its soft power in the world.
02:00How do you think this agreement will help grow Britain's soft power too?
02:04Well, we've always had a long, close and deep relationship with India and we're really proud of that.
02:10We have two million Indians in the United Kingdom and they are the living, breathing bridge between our two nations.
02:16In recent years we've already seen lots of cultural collaborations springing up.
02:21Recently Ed Sheeran collaborating with Dilip Dasanj and A.R. Rahman,
02:26which has brought a new vibrancy to the music industry.
02:29And we want to see more of that.
02:31We think that by working together, India and the UK can really be an exemplar
02:37of how you break down national boundaries and you work much more closely together
02:42and bring people together through the power of the creative industries.
02:46Right. Ma'am, you also had a meeting with India's external affairs minister,
02:49Dr. Asia Shankarandar's islands of the waves in Mumbai.
02:52How was that meeting and what was all discussed?
02:55We were very pleased to have a bilateral meeting to discuss how we can cooperate much more closely.
03:01Prime Minister Modi has signalled his personal commitment to taking what is already a huge Indian success story
03:08through film, fashion and their wider creative industries
03:12and really putting rocket boosters under them for the coming years.
03:16Our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, very much agrees with him.
03:20That is exactly what our UK government is trying to do.
03:24And we have a lot of ambition for what India and the UK can achieve together.
03:29Right. Ma'am, many popular Bollywood and Indian movies have been shot in the UK.
03:34You have also toured Yashrad Studios during your visit.
03:37How do you see more collaboration between India and UK's Indian film production in the future?
03:43When we toured Yashrad Studios yesterday, I was very keen to discuss how we could ensure
03:50that we have more Bollywood films filmed in location, not just in London, but all over the United Kingdom.
03:56But also how British companies can work very closely with Indian companies,
04:01with the new technology that's being developed that is really enhancing the cinematic experience.
04:06I want to see a cinematic revolution across the UK and India,
04:11with British and Indian companies collaborating to be able to take those films to the next level.
04:17Right. India will be hosting the Women's Cricket World Cup in October 2025.
04:22How forward are you looking at it?
04:23I'm very much looking forward to seeing India hosting the Women's Cricket World Cup.
04:28And I was delighted to meet some of the members of the India Women's Cricket team on my visit.
04:35They will be coming to the UK this summer with the men's team as well.
04:39And we are so looking forward to welcoming them.
04:41We think those young women will be a real inspiration to young women in the United Kingdom.
04:47And we hope, just like the Lionesses, our England football team in the UK,
04:52we hope that the Indian female cricket team will be able to come into schools and communities when they're here in the UK,
04:59so that they'll be able to inspire that next generation into cricket.
05:03Right. Ma'am, just a few days ago, India was attacked, the tourists were attacked,
05:11and you also joined in the Women's Silence as a gesture of respect for victims.
05:15What is the UK's position and what are your thoughts on this terrible attack that has happened?
05:20Our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, was very pleased to be able to send his condolences directly to Prime Minister Modi
05:27and to send our condolences to the families of the victims of these appalling attacks.
05:34The UK stands with India against terrorism, always, in whatever form.
05:40We know the Indian nation is hurting because of those attacks,
05:43and our relationship with India is very long, is very deep.
05:47When you're hurting, we're hurting.
05:49And I was pleased to be able to join in that minute's silence
05:51to show our respect and our support for India's fight against terrorism.
05:56Just last question, ma'am.
05:58There is an Indian demand regarding the return of Kohinoor to India.
06:02Is there any kind of conversation happening between the two sides?
06:06We've been talking between the UK and India for quite some time
06:10about the way that we think we can collaborate much more closely together
06:15to make sure that people both in the UK and in India can benefit from
06:20and have access to many of the cultural artefacts that stem back to the time very different era.
06:27That's something that I've discussed with my counterpart.