New Delhi, Jan 9 Overseas Indians could strengthen their cultural bonds with the mother country by setting up new cultural institutions, funding museums and training institutes of performing arts.

Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni offered this suggestion at a session on culture at the sixth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Tuesday.

"The government would be happy to join hands in some of these areas through public-private partnership," she said.

She said that overseas Indians could help a large number of artists and artisans in India, particularly in the rural areas, by way of promoting their traditional arts and crafts abroad.

She pointed out the India is expanding incredibly on the global cultural canvas and people all over the world have started noticing India.