2 weeks ago
Can Hindi learn from China's Mandarin diplomacy and soft power?
Hindi is a language that many people in India speak.
About 528 million people speak it as their first language.
That is almost half of India, the country with the most people in the world.
Even so, Hindi is not one of the official languages of the United Nations.
China, on the other hand, has worked hard to spread its language, Mandarin, around the world.
In 2004, China started Confucius Institutes to teach Mandarin, and today they exist in about 164 countries.
Chinese leaders speak Mandarin when they talk to other countries, which helps China look powerful.
The article says India should do something similar with Hindi.
It thinks Indian leaders should speak Hindi more instead of always using English.
That way, the world might know Hindi better and respect India's culture and history.
Hindi is India's most widely spoken language, with about 528 million first-language speakers, roughly 43% of the population.
When second- and third-language speakers are included, about 57% of India's population is fluent in Hindi.
Hindi is not among the six official languages of the United Nations, despite India representing 17.7% of the world's population.
China began promoting Mandarin through Confucius Institutes in 2004, and they now operate in approximately 164 countries.
The author argues Indian officials should prioritise Hindi over English on global platforms, describing English preference as a 'colonial mindset.'
- Who
- Shreyansh Kumar Gupta, a student in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Delhi, wrote the analysis.
- What
- An argument that India should promote Hindi as a global soft-power tool by learning from China's Mandarin diplomacy.
- Where
- India and China, with focus on global platforms such as the United Nations.
- When
- Not explicitly dated; the article reflects the situation as of 2026 and references China's Confucius Institutes programme started in 2004.
- Why
- Because Hindi, spoken by more than half of India's population, lacks global recognition and is not an official UN language.
Stronger global push for Hindi
Multilingual balance and English practicality
Language for Indian officials
Stronger global push for Hindi
Indian officials should speak Hindi on global platforms, as Chinese officials do with Mandarin, rather than relying on English, which reflects a colonial mindset.
Multilingual balance and English practicality
English is the practical international language of diplomacy and trade, and switching officials to Hindi could complicate global communication and ignore India's other languages.
Official status at the UN
Stronger global push for Hindi
Hindi deserves recognition as an official UN language because more than half of India's population and 17.7% of the world's people speak it.
Multilingual balance and English practicality
Elevating one language could clash with India's commitment to respecting all 22 official languages and its position that no language should be discriminated against.
Model for language promotion
Stronger global push for Hindi
India should copy China's Mandarin diplomacy, including the Confucius Institutes model, to spread Hindi as a global soft-power tool.
Multilingual balance and English practicality
India's multilingual, federal society may need its own model that promotes Hindi without diminishing the country's linguistic diversity.
Key facts
- Hindi first-language speakers
- About 528 million (approx. 43% of India's population)
- Hindi speakers including second/third language
- Approx. 57% of India's population
- India's share of world population
- 17.7%
- Mandarin speakers' share of world population
- Approx. 17%
- Confucius Institutes founded
- 2004
- Countries with Confucius Institutes
- Approximately 164
- Government support for Hindi
- ICCR, Ministry of Culture, IITs and Ministry of IT back Hindi promotion
- Hindi promotional initiatives
- UN in Hindi, World Hindi Conference, World Hindi Secretariat, fellowships for foreign students
Sources
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