Cultural exchanges between the two countries have existed since time immemorial and with the setting up of the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) in Cairo in 1992 as part of the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP), the spirit of that cultural exchange has seen an institutional embodiment. MACIC was set up in Cairo in 1992 to promote cultural cooperation between the two countries, through the implementation of the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP).

The Centre, in addition to popularizing Indian culture through Hindi, Urdu and Yoga classes and the screening of movies, also organizes cultural festivals such as the “Days of Indian Culture” and the Indian Cultural Week which was held in Egypt in November 2008 and September-October 2010 respectively. India was the Guest Country of Honour at the Cairo International Film Festival (ClFF) in November 2009. As part of the celebrations for 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, a number of programmes were organized in 2011-12 including lectures, literary seminars, exhibitions from India, performances of Rabindra Sangeet and Tagore dance dramas by top Indian performers, in Cairo and a number of other governorates. In March 2012, a portrait of Tagore was unveiled at the House of Poetry by the EAM and the Egyptian Minister of Culture. During the visit, a new CEP was also signed. MACIC itself has undergone renovation, with a new library and language classroom opening in January 2012. 

The major activities of the Council include:

Administration of scholarship schemes on behalf of the Government of India for international students;

the Cultural Exchange Programme between India and Egypt provides for exchange in the fields of education and science, arts and culture, mass-media, social affairs, health, tourism, youth and sports, man-power. The scholarship programme for the year 1999-2000, offers to Egyptian nationals, by the Government of India, 11 scholarships for Post-Graduate studies at Indian Universities.

Apart from the scholarship programme, the general welfare of all international students, scholarship holders as well as self-financing students, is also a part of ICCR mandate. In pursuance of this, the Council organised various activities throughout the year to familiarise the international students with the political, economic, social and cultural milieu of the India, besides helping them make friends through shared experiences.

Exchange of scholars, academicians, opinion-makers, artists and writers; exchange of performing arts groups; exchange of exhibitions; presentation of books, musical instruments; maintaining Indian Cultural Centres abroad and supporting special bilateral programmes; establishing and maintaining chairs and professorships for Indian studies abroad, etc.