Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has envisioned a whole new role for Bollywood, noting India's 'soft power', especially the film industry, can be put to use as an important instrument of foreign policy.

"The soft power of India in some ways can be a very important instrument of foreign policy. Cultural relations, India's film industry, Bollywood...I find wherever I go in West Asia, in Africa, people talk about Indian films," Singh told IFS probationers at his residence.

He said soft power is equally important in the new world of diplomacy.

"So that (soft power) is a new way of influencing the world about the growing importance of India," Singh said.