India International Center

Founded in 1958 and inaugurated in 1962, the India International Centre is a premier non-official organisation in the capital, playing a unique cultural and intellectual role in the life of the citizens.

The munificent grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, handsome support from the Universities which became its foundation members, the personal interest taken in the project by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the encouragement of the Government of India and the energetic work of a small organizing committee under the chairmanship of Dr. C.D. Deshmukh saw to the establishment of the Centre in the late sixties. The Centre was intended, in the words of its Founder President, to provide 'facilities for exemplars of various cultures to stay together a while for a not too professional or hurried exchange of ideas or thoughts, but in order that the sharpness of intellectual exchange is softened by the graciousness of good fellowship'.

ImageThe Centre is non-official in character, non-aligned in its motivation and approach and uncommitted to any particular form of governmental, political, economic or religious affiliation.

The Centre's reputation over the years has become such that several intellectual and cultural institutions in the country and, occasionally some abroad, have sought to organize functions in the Centre, often in collaboration with it. This is as it should be because we recognize that the Centre cannot by itself cover as much ground as it can with the cooperation of others. In fact, one could perhaps say that the Centre's major role is to act as a catalyst as well as a promoter of intellectual and cultural activity throughout the country and provide a suitable ambience for this.