MICA and IGNCA Partner to Reimagine the Communication and Branding of India’s Cultural Heritage
September, 2026
MICA, India’s premier management institute for strategic marketing and communication, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), an autonomous trust under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a period of three years to establish an interdisciplinary academic and cultural collaboration. The partnership brings together IGNCA’s deep mandate in Indian art, craft, and cultural documentation with MICA’s expertise in brand strategy, digital media, and cultural storytelling.
As a primary milestone of this collaboration, MICA and IGNCA have agreed to jointly launch two comprehensive certification programmes. The first programme will be delivered online to reach a wider national and global audience, while the second will be an immersive, on-campus programme hosted at MICA.
These programmes are specially curated to train and equip a diverse spectrum of stakeholders including policymakers, artists, cultural practitioners, and domain experts with practical capabilities in cultural communication, marketing, and global branding.
Beyond academic certifications, the MoU establishes broad pathways for joint research projects and case studies on heritage communication and traditional art marketing. It creates opportunities for MICA students to participate in field immersions, dissertations, and internships across IGNCA’s centres (including its Regional Centre in Vadodara). IGNCA benefits from structured strategic inputs from MICA faculty and students for cultural campaigns.
Crucially, the partnership incorporates capacity-building workshops to empower craft communities and artisans with modern branding and digital market linkages.
Sharing her vision on this tie-up, Jaya Deshmukh Director & CEO, MICA said, “For India to become, it needs to understand the Bharat. I really feel this collaboration is our first step in integrating the two and coming up with our own definition through our MICAN lens.”
Further elaborating, Prof. Falguni Vasavada, Academic Head, The School of Applied Creativity, MICA said, “I see this partnership between MICA and IGNCA extremely strategic and futuristic. Synergies across both institutions will result in interesting courses and conversations around art and storytelling. IGNCA with their interdisciplinary expertise to Indian culture and MICA at the forefront of culture, consumer and storytelling will see synergies from this association.”
In his keynote address, Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, reminiscing about his days as a student and writer said, “The true job of a creative person is to bring humanity back to real life through emotions and sensitivity. Creativity requires daily riyaaz, and above all, two essential pillars, Commitment to a cause larger than material success and Compassion to serve as a guiding light for society. Without these, no creative pursuit is truly complete.”
About IGNCA
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), established in New Delhi on 19th March 1987 as an autonomous trust under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is an academic research institution serving as a major resource centre for the arts. Launched on 19th November 1985 by late Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi, IGNCA was founded on conceptual pillars symbolized by five sacred trees and the confluence of primordial elements representing introspection, interdisciplinary inquiry, intellectual rigour, and the joy of creativity. IGNCA carries out research, documentation, publications, and critical dialogues spanning tribal, folk, and classical arts, humanities, and indigenous knowledge traditions across India.
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