India’s Ministry of Culture & YouTube Sign MoU to Promote Folk Music

The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with YouTube to promote and amplify Indian traditional folk and tribal music on a global stage, with…

By Hardik Dhamija

March 27, 2026

2 min read

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The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with YouTube to promote and amplify Indian traditional folk and tribal music on a global stage, with the signing ceremony held in New Delhi on March 25, 2026. The event was attended by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, and YouTube India Managing Director Gunjan Soni.

What This MoU Actually Delivers

This isn’t a symbolic handshake — it’s a structured programme with real, ground-level impact for folk artists across India.

Pillar	Details
Digital Skilling	Training in content creation, channel management, monetisation
IP Awareness	Copyright education and rights management for folk artists
Infrastructure Access	Recording facilities through Ministry’s autonomous institutions
Mentorship	Localised educational materials and identified mentors
Analytics	YouTube analytics training for audience insights
Career Pathways	Sustainable online career development for folk musicians

Why This Partnership Matters Right Now

India’s folk, tribal, and traditional music heritage, while diverse and vibrant, has long faced challenges in terms of global visibility, digital distribution, and awareness of rights in the modern content landscape — and this initiative seeks to bridge those gaps through structured training, access to infrastructure, and continuous institutional support.

The Ministry of Culture will provide strategic leadership with a joint task force guiding execution and impact assessment, while YouTube will assist affiliated bodies in training folk artists on digital content creation best practices, channel management, monetisation strategies, copyright management, and understanding audience insights.

Gunjan Soni of YouTube noted that the goal is to empower artists not just with digital skills, but with sustainable pathways to connect with new audiences worldwide and ensure their invaluable art resonates for generations to come. Read the official release on the PIB website and follow more tech and culture news at TechnoSports.