New Delhi: “I on behalf of Indian Media and Entertainment Industry and Art & Culture Fraternity of India take this opportunity to extend my heartiest congratulations to H.E. Carlos Pereira Marques Ambassador of Portugal to India and people of Portugal on their National Day falls on 10th June,” said Dr. Sandeep Marwah President of Marwah Studios and ICMEI- International Chamber of Media And Entertainment Industry while sending his best wishes to the Embassy of Portugal.
Relations between India and Portugal date back to over 500 years when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama led a sea-faring expedition to Calicut (Kozhikode) in Kerala in May 1498, making him the first to discover a direct sea route between Europe and South Asia, across the Atlantic Ocean and the African continent. This enabled Portugal to directly access the highly profitable Indian spice market and emerge as a dominant colonial trading power.
A MOU on Cultural cooperation was signed on June 24, 2017 during PM Modi’s visit to Portugal. A large number of cultural performances, youth and literary exchanges, seminars, art exhibitions etc. have been held across Portugal, tapping into our historic ties and the Portuguese peoples’ keen interest in Indian culture and spirituality informed Sandeep Marwah also Chair for IPFCF- Indo Portugal Film And Cultural Forum.