Like the cultural missions of other countries, the Cultural Office also sponsors activities in traditional areas, such as the performing and visual arts and literature, although with increasing reliance on private sector support.

Beyond the arts, the Cultural Affairs Office supports a wide range of professional exchange and speakers programs through which Indians and Americans can exchange ideas and experiences on a diverse range of issues, ranging from economics and trade to political and international security, from environmental protection and AIDS prevention to democracy and human rights. The American speakers who come to India include government officials, scholars, journalists, and business and labor leaders, among others; they offer lectures, seminars and workshops both on the premises of the American Center and at cooperating institutions around India. One of the largest programs sending Indians to the United States is the International Visitor Program, which invites current and potential foreign leaders to the United States to engage in a short but intensive round of professional meetings and consultations with their American counterparts. Such Indo-American dialogue may also take place via live, interactive exchanges on the Bureau of Public Diplomacy"s Worldnet satellite system or via other electronic programs at the American Center.

The Cultural Affairs Office also oversees the American Information Resource Center.