We are all heroes of our own stories, but true heroes are the ones who dare to come out of the shadows and achieve greatness by courageously displaying their talent in front of not just their own nation, but beyond those territorial boundaries. National boundaries do not limit such people. They deserve to be in the limelight and recognised at the global stage.
India Book of Records and its Asian counterparts are building together a global platform for record holders, where the talent of such people is recognised, celebrated and connected under one shared umbrella of achievement. These organisations are quietly building an ecosystem where the talents from across the Asian continent are appreciated in the right way, and also put them on a shared pedestal.
Joining of Hands
It was 2011 when the first step towards a collaborative future was taken in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury (Chief Editor, India Book of Records) was invited as the Chief Guest for an event organised by Vietnam Book of Records (VBR). During the event, Le Tran Truong An (the then Chief Editor of VBR) and Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury took a pledge to bring the record holders from around the world on one platform.
They made a firm resolve to standardise and create a thriving global community of record holders from across the world. This standardisation effort made by both India and Vietnam Book of Records led to the conception of the International Protocol for New Records (IPNR), a set of strict standards for world record recognition that needs to be adhered to for all record-breaking and record-making achievements, formed at a joint meeting of Chief Editors of Record Books of member nations, held on September 8, 2017 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
As a result of this dialogue, it was also decided that the Chief Editors of the partner nations would meet annually to discuss the future course of action. The India Book of Records, for the first time in the history of record books, held a Chief Editor’s Meet on 12-01-2012 in Delhi, attended by the Chief Editors of books of records of all the member nations.
A promise made over a decade ago became the founding spirit of IBR’s international journey
Connecting the Elites - Building Record Values
What began as a conversation between two visionaries has grown since into a living, breathing alliance of nations. Asia Book of Records, the keeper of records for Asian countries, works under the World Record Union in close collaboration with Vietnam Book of Records, Nepal Book of Records, Cambodia Book of Records, India Book of Records, Bangladesh Book of Records, US Book of Records, Ukraine Book of Records and Indonesia Book of Records, with its headquarters in India and Vietnam.
This is not simply a network of record books. It is a federation of the shared belief that extraordinary human talent, wherever it is born, deserves to be witnessed by the world.
In continuation with the collaborative formation of IPNR in 2017, a significant International Annual Meeting was held at Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City on June 6, 2022, where Dr Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury served as Chief Guest and addressed the Chief Editors of Vietnam Book of Records, Cambodia Book of Records, Indo-China Book of Records, and Ukraine Book of Records. Each such meeting is more than a gathering. It is a pledge that refuses to age.
When Culture Becomes the Record
The most powerful chapter of this alliance, however, has been written not in boardrooms but through art, dance, literature, and cinema.
In a remarkable turn, UNESCO Vietnam collaborated with the India Book of Records to promote Indo-Vietnam Cultural Heritage through a series of programs showcasing talent and cultural exchange. This was not just a ceremonial partnership, but a commitment.
Dr Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury launched the book “Ngoi Bao Ton Di San – The Guardian of Heritage” on February 14, 2025, to honour the shared cultural legacy of India and Vietnam, with launches held in both countries. Then, on June 21, 2025, the Vietnamese edition of The Guardian of Heritage (Người Bảo Tồn Di Sản) was officially released in Hanoi, Vietnam, marking a significant milestone in the Indo-Vietnam cultural collaboration.
India Book of Records also produced a movie in collaboration with Vietnam Book of Records, named “Vườn Tình Yêu – Prem Ki Surdhara”. This movie is based on Indo-Vietnamese cultural similarities. The first half of the movie was shot in India, and the second half was shot in Hanoi, Vietnam. The film was first screened at the 8th Haryana Film Festival, where it also secured the title of Best International Film Award on March 25, 2026.
Going forward, India Book of Records, in association with Vietnam Book of Records (VBR), under the banner of UNESCO, successfully organised a Vietnamese Dance Training Programme from October 2 to October 5, 2025, at the IBR Head Office in Faridabad, Haryana. Under this training programme, the participants received professional training from distinguished Vietnamese artists and were awarded certificates on successful completion. These participants also got the opportunity to showcase their talents at the 8th Haryana Film Festival, at Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, on March 25, 2026.
Special Recognition
The recognition has flowed both ways. IBR’s Chief Editor and present Chairman of World Records Union, Dr Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury, received the Golden Board Award from UNESCO, presented by Dr Ta Quang Dong (Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam), in Hanoi on October 24, 2025, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Indo-Vietnam Cultural Heritage Exchange.
What’s Next: Vietnam, July 2026
Taking forward the story of solidarity between India and Vietnam, a landmark programme is set to be held in Vietnam in July 2026, jointly organised by IBR in association with VBR. Indian dancers will have an opportunity to teach Indian Cultural dance in Vietnam while simultaneously learning Vietnam’s rich cultural dance heritage. The upcoming programme is not an event. It is the next chapter of the story of solidarity between the two nations.
The Bigger Picture
When we look back at what has been built- the IPNR, the annual Chief Editor’s Meets, the books, the film, the cultural exchange rpogrammes, the award- we see something rare. We see an institution that has matched its ambition with action, year after year. India Book of Records and its counterparts across Asia are not just documenting unique human skills. They are creating the conditions for the extraordinary to exist. Together they are providing a gateway for the ordinary people across Asia an extraordinary opportunity to be seen by the world.
