It has been  the endeavour of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to showcase diverse forms of Indian dance, music and theater in other countries, and a substantial portion of ICCR’s annual budget is spent for this purpose. ICCR also coordinates events such as Indian Food Festival. Indian Film Festival, Fashion Show, Tourism Road Shows and Exhibitions of paintings and Indian antiquities being organized by other ministries/organizations in the course of a Festival of India abroad.
   
Apart from Festivals of India organized by the Council, ICCR gives travel grants to Intellectuals/Academicians as well as artistes to participate in conference/seminars abroad and to attend cultural events organized by other organizations abroad. The Council also regularly sends cultural troupes on tours abroad at the request of our Missions and Posts in various countries.     
 

 For regular tours abroad, artistes are selected on the basis of (i) requests received from our Missions/Posts for particular art forms (classical/folk/contemporary music/dance/theatre), and (ii) the Council’s own norms of empanelment and sponsorship. For Festivals of India in other countries, the Council selects only the most eminent and well-known artistes on its panel, so as to project the best of India on an occasion when India is being showcased in another country.
 

 Artistes are paid standard remuneration/performance fee for shows undertaken abroad on behalf of the Council, as per the norms approved by the Council’s Finance Committee. At present, the remuneration rates are as follows:
 

Outstanding Category
 Rs. 20,000/- per performance
 
Establishment Category
 Rs. 15,000/- per performance
 
Proficient Category
 Rs. 10,000/- per performance
 
Accompanists (outstanding)
 Rs. 4,000/- per performance
 
Accompanists (Establish)
 Rs. 3,000/- per performance
 
Accompanists (Proficient)
 Rs. 2,000/- per performance
 
Dance & Theatre groups
 
 
Outstanding groups
 Rs. 50,000/- per performance
 
Established groups
 Rs. 40,000/- per performance
 
Proficient groups
 Rs. 25,000/- per performance
 
Folk groups of different states
 
 
Main artistes
 Rs. 7,000/- per performance
 
Accompanists
 Rs. 1,500/- per performance
 
Popular groups
 
 
Bollywood, Rock Band, Jazz
 Rs. 75,000/- per performance
 
Fusion etc (up to 10 members)
 
 
11-25 Members
 Rs. 1,00,000/- per performance