India and the UK are in discussions to improve collaboration regarding historical artefacts, including the Koh-i-Noor (Kohinoor) diamond, according to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
Photo : AP
India and the United Kingdom are engaged in discussions to enhance cooperation in a way that will allow both countries access to historical artefacts like the Koh-i-Noor (Kohinoor) diamond, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said on Sunday. When asked by ANI on any communication between India and UK on Kohinoor, the Indian-orgin British Minister said that talks were ongoing for quite some time between the two nations regarding collaboration on cultural artefacts.
“We’ve been talking between the UK and India for quite some time about the way that we think we can collaborate much more closely together to make sure that people both in the UK and in India can benefit from and have access to many of the cultural artefacts that stem back to the very different era. This is something that I’ve discussed with my counterpart,” Nandy, who is in New Delhi on an official visit, said.
#WATCH | Delhi | On any communication between India & UK on ‘Kohinoor’, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy says,” We’ve been talking between the UK and India for quite some time about the way that we think we can collaborate much more closely together… pic.twitter.com/Gn0ZPAjRBX
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2025
She also mentioned that across the creative industries, the UK and India excel, whether in film, fashion, TV, music, or gaming, and they are looking to enhance cooperation there as well. “We’re really good at these things, and we export many of those products to the world, but we know that through cooperation, we can do more and we can achieve more together,” stated.
Nandy added, “Our Science museums group has been working with the National Museum Science Museums group here to get joint collaborations, joint exhibitions, tour different objects, make sure that people in India and the UK can really benefit from that. We think that’s the model for how we can cooperate much more closely across all the other creative industries as well.”
A symbol of British colonial loot, the Kohinoor diamond is a massive 105.6 carat stone, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world. It was held by several rulers in India before landing in the hands of the East India Company from Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s treasury. It was then presented to Queen Victoria following the annexation of Punjab and the infamous diamond was set within the Crown of the mother of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
