IIC's annual festival to feature power of women

New Delhi’s iconic India International Centre (IIC) will hold the 21st edition of its annual festival, The IIC Experience: A Festival of Arts, being organised from 10 to 14 October. The theme of this year’s festival is Sā-Vanitā: Thus, She Speaks, focussing on women’s voices, their multidimensional growth, and women-led initiatives across various fields. Through talks, discussions, exhibitions, films and cultural performances, the festival will highlight the evolving role and status of women in society.

The festival embodies the IIC’s spirit and continues its legacy as a space that supports diversity, creativity and freedom. This edition will feature a wide range of programmes, in both outdoor and indoor venues, including classical and folk dances, opera, cinema, dialogues and, of course, diverse cuisine.

The festival will commence with the exhibition 'Shunya—The Power of Zero’. The exhibition will be inaugurated by Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. The keynote address by distinguished journalist and litterateur Mrinal Pande on 9 October 2025. It will be formally inaugurated on 10 October Shyam Saran, President, IIC and former foreign secretary, followed by a Bharatanatyam dance recital by Malavika Sarukkai and her troupe.

Known for its famous dinners, this year’s food festival, ‘Celebrating Women Chefs’, has been curated by Sourish Bhattacharyya and PushpeshPant. It will feature multiple cuisines, including ‘Spice Route: Coastal Food from Andhra’ by Chef Rekha Rigo; ‘Shonar Bangla Bhoj: A Bengali Culinary Tapestry’ by Chef Samita Haldar; ‘Sunday Brunch: Flavours of Gujarat’ by the members of SEWA, Gujarat; ‘Begum-e-Dilli: The Flavours of Old Delhi’ by Chef Gunjan Goela; ‘La Table Française’ by Vijay Kumar, Executive Chef, IIC; and ‘Baghar-e-Magadh—Culinary Tour of flavourful Bihar’ by Chef Shacchi Anand.