Culture Means Business: Tapping into India’s $100 Billion Cultural Wealth

In an era of startups, unicorns and infrastructure booms, India’s most important asset often goes unnoticed: its culture. Across every corner of the country, millions of artisans, storytellers, musicians, tour guides, chefs, folk performers and spiritual workers quietly sustain livelihoods and carry forward centuries-old traditions. Together, they form India’s cultural economy, a vast and largely informal sector that deserves far more attention than it gets.

According to the 2022 report “Creative India: Tapping the Full Potential” by ICRIER, India’s creative economy employs an estimated 39.7 million people (during 2017–18 to 2019–20), representing nearly 8% of the nation’s total workforce. Contributing close to 20% of India’s Gross Value Added (GVA), the sector stands as a major pillar of inclusive growth. The report also reveals that individuals engaged in creative occupations earn, on average, almost twice the wage rate of those in non-creative fields, a powerful reminder that creativity is not only a cultural strength, but also an economic force. With the right vision, policy and investment, India’s creative economy can transform livelihoods, inspire innovation and position the nation as a global leader in cultural enterprise.

Around the world, culture is increasingly seen not as a remnant of history, but as a powerful national asset one that defines identity, sparks creativity and enhances global standing. In today’s interconnected and influence-driven era, nations are harnessing their cultural heritage to craft compelling global narratives, drive economic growth and strengthen a sense of national pride. As Izabela Ścibiorska-Kowalczyk and Julia Cichoń observe in their peer-reviewed study published in Sustainability (MDPI, 2021): “South Korea is an example of a state which has seen popular culture as an opportunity to conquer global markets and strengthen its authority internationally.” Their analysis of South Korea’s cultural policy highlights a broader global shift, where culture is no longer treated as mere nostalgia or aesthetic tradition, but as a central pillar of economic and geopolitical strategy.

India is home to hundreds of living languages and dialects, offering unmatched cultural depth. This diversity is not just our heritage but a wellspring of soft power, economic potential and global influence. Yet to truly harness this wealth, we must go beyond symbolic celebration. Strategic investment in cultural industries, policy frameworks and platforms that empower local creators are essential. Culture must be seen not only as tradition to preserve, but as capital to activate for diplomacy, development and national growth.

The cultural economy is an engine of inclusive development. From Pochampally weavers in Telangana to storytellers in Manipur, from monastery tourism in Ladakh to boat festivals in Kerala, and from pashmina, papier-mâché artisans and Sufi shrines in Kashmir to Yak dance performers in Arunachal Pradesh, culture generates both dignity and income. It bridges rural and urban, tradition and innovation, employment and identity.

A Cultural Economy Framework

To realise the full potential of its cultural economy, India must adopt a structured, forward-thinking approach. This requires not only recognition, but strong policy integration, targeted investment, and consistent institutional support. Below are three foundational pillars that can drive this transformation:

Cultural Economy Index: As recommended by the British Council India, establishing a national framework to measure the creative sector’s contributions to GDP, employment and trade would provide the data needed to shape informed and forward-looking cultural policies

Build Cultural Incubators: Cultural entrepreneurs, whether they are puppet artists, weavers, storytellers or folk musicians, require the same kind of structured support that technology startups receive. Based on my own experience working with artists and cultural communities across India, it is clear that what these creators need is not charity, but access: to funding, mentorship, digital platforms and business training. India’s creative talent is abundant, but it often struggles for visibility and viability due to lack of institutional scaffolding. By establishing dedicated cultural incubators across states, we can convert raw tradition into sustainable enterprise preserving heritage while creating jobs and global market opportunities.

Protect Intellectual Property (IP): According to the 2020 Handloom Census of India, over 70% of traditional craft designs remain unregistered, making them vulnerable to imitation, misappropriation and commercial exploitation. For artisans, weavers, and folk creators, intellectual property rights are not only legal tools; but are also essential safeguards of heritage and livelihood. India must accelerate the process of granting Geographical Indications (GI) and community-held IP rights, especially in regions rich in intangible cultural heritage. Streamlined legal assistance, awareness campaigns and digital registries can empower local creators to claim ownership, build brand identity and access new markets on their own terms.

A New Policy Vision for a New India: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 have cast fresh light on the vital links between heritage, creativity, and economic development. By promoting “Indian knowledge systems,” regional languages, experiential learning and multidisciplinary thinking, the NEP creates fertile ground for integrating cultural education with enterprise. This policy shift signals a deeper recognition: that culture is not a peripheral concern, but a foundational resource for innovation, inclusion and sustainable growth. As India repositions itself on the global stage, embedding cultural intelligence into education, skilling and policymaking is no longer aspirational, it is strategic.

As Prof. G.N. Devy, founder of the People’s Linguistic Survey of India, has argued, the future of Indian education depends on integrating local knowledge systems and cultural plurality into mainstream curricula, ensuring that universities reconnect with the languages, wisdom and traditions of marginalized communities.

Valuing the Invisible Workforce

Contrary to stereotypes, India’s cultural workers are not only custodians of fading traditions but also vibrant creators, innovators and entrepreneurs. Rural folk singers now perform live on YouTube, artisans sell through WhatsApp and Etsy and local heritage experiences are promoted via Instagram reels. This digital shift has quietly turned many traditional creators into cultural entrepreneurs. Kashmir, too, stands as a living example of this transformation. From papier-mâché and pashmina artisans to walnut woodcarvers, carpet weavers and contemporary photographers capturing the Valley’s essence, creative talent here continues to thrive despite limited institutional support. Cultural workers preserve heritage while redefining it, linking identity with innovation and tradition with trade.

Across India, similar stories emerge, whether it’s weavers in Telangana or storytellers in Manipur, all forming the backbone of a vast, often invisible, creative workforce. Their collective contribution to the national economy is immense, yet under-recognized. It’s time we acknowledge that these individuals are not just keepers of culture but key drivers of inclusive growth, soft power and global influence.

While engaging in a conversation with Dr. Santosh Pathak of Banasthali University during the All India Association of Indian Universities (AIU) Youth Cultural Festival held at Amity University, he made a compelling observation, “We don’t only need engineers of machines but we also need engineers of meaning. Culture is the code humanity runs on.” His words matched the core idea that cultural literacy is not ornamental but essential. In a rapidly technologized world, culture helps decode meaning, build empathy and nurture a shared sense of belonging. As Basharat Ahmad, a papier-mâché artisan from Srinagar, shares: “People think our work is dying, but every time someone buys a handmade piece, they not only buy a craft but they buy a story also, a memory, a piece of India.” His words remind us that cultural work is not ornamental; it is personal, powerful and economically vital.

From Tamil Nadu’s Karagattam dancers, to Goan Fado musicians and Rajasthani puppeteers like Mohan Bhopa, whose folk ballads carry ancestral memory, cultural professionals across India continue to inspire, entertain and economically contribute, even when support is scarce. From Assam’s Bihu dancers, Mizoram’s bamboo musicians, and Nagaland’s woodcarvers, to tribal shawl weavers in Odisha’s Kandhamal district and YouTube creators from Meghalaya retelling folktales, India’s northeast and tribal communities are also claiming their place in the cultural economy. Their voices must be included in any national conversation on cultural development and economic justice.

India’s future as a global leader will not be determined by GDP alone, but by the stories we tell, the traditions we sustain and the values we live by. Culture is not a soft subject but a powerful, yet underutilized, economic asset. Swami Vivekananda once observed, “The goal of education is to build character.” Cultural entrepreneurship builds not just character but economies. India’s cultural economy is our quiet superpower. The time has come to recognize its potential, invest in its growth and create bold policy frameworks, financial tools and digital platforms that allow it to lead from the front.

Dr. Shahid Ali Khan is a Researcher and Academician, presently serves the University of Kashmir as Cultural Officer