Pirelli's calendar, India's soft power

Soft power is most effective when it sneaks in through the back door, rather than marches in through the front. For decades, India has tried to brand itself with the predictable exports of yoga and Bollywood. Worthy as they are, they appeal largely to the already converted: wellness New-Age enthusiasts who chant 'Om' in Brooklyn studios, and cinephiles who fetishise masala musicals. These are niche audiences, not mainstream cultural consumers. The upcoming 2027 Pirelli calendar - the photoshoot, an international collaboration of Norwegian Solve Sundsbo and Indian Avani Rai - however, is a different beast.

Long a symbol and benchmark of global glamour, it has historically showcased supermodels and cultural icons who define aspirational aesthetics. By casting an all-global Indian line-up - including Bhavitha Mandava, Padma Lakshmi, Anoushka Shankar, Lakshmi Menon (pic) - in Indian locations, showcasing Indian fabrics and creations, the iconic Pirelli calendar team has effectively declared that Indian faces, styles and sensibilities are no longer exotic add-ons, but the main course in global popular culture and aesthetics. This is not India selling itself but the world buying into India. When Pirelli's glossy calendar hangs in Milan boardrooms or New York lofts, it normalises Indian beauty and artistry as part of the global mainstream. It's also Pirelli seeking out cool in 'India'.

This is how soft power works best: not through official campaigns but through cultural osmosis. The calendar's impact is likely to be greater than any Indian government-funded campaign because it bypasses the self-consciousness of promotion. It is aspirational, not didactic. India's policymakers should take note. The country's cultural influence will not be cemented by more yoga festivals or Bollywood roadshows. It will be confirmed when Indian artists, models and creators are seamlessly integrated into global platforms of prestige. The Pirelli calendar is not just a photoshoot - it is a declaration that India has arrived, not as a curiosity but as a cultural power.