MICA and IGNCA Join Hands to Reimagine Communication and Branding of India’s Cultural Heritage
Three-year strategic partnership to drive cultural communication, collaborative research, craft documentation, student immersions and artisan empowerment
Bilkul Online
Ahmedabad | 02 Sep2026
MICA – The School of Ideas, India’s premier 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 entered into a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster interdisciplinary collaboration at the intersection of culture, communication, creativity and branding.
The partnership brings together IGNCA’s extensive expertise in Indian art, craft, cultural heritage and documentation with MICA’s strengths in strategic marketing, brand building, digital media and storytelling. The collaboration seeks to develop contemporary approaches to communicating India’s rich cultural heritage while creating new opportunities for research, education and capacity building.
Two New Certification Programmes
As a key initiative under the partnership, MICA and IGNCA will jointly launch two curated certification programmes in cultural communication and branding. One programme will be offered online, enabling participation from across India and internationally, while the second will be an immersive, on-campus programme at MICA.
The programmes are designed for a diverse group of stakeholders, including policymakers, artists, cultural practitioners and domain experts, and will equip participants with practical skills in cultural communication, marketing and global branding.
Research, Student Immersions and Cultural Storytelling
The MoU also provides a framework for joint research projects, case studies and academic initiatives focusing on heritage communication and the marketing of traditional arts and crafts.
MICA students will have opportunities to undertake field immersions, dissertations and internships across IGNCA’s centres, including its Regional Centre in Vadodara. At the same time, IGNCA will benefit from strategic inputs and perspectives from MICA faculty and students for its cultural communication and campaign initiatives.
A significant component of the partnership will be capacity-building for craft communities and artisans, with workshops aimed at helping them strengthen their branding capabilities and establish stronger linkages with digital markets.
MICA: Bridging India and Bharat
Speaking about the collaboration, 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.”
Prof. Falguni Vasavada, Academic Head, The School of Applied Creativity, MICA, said the partnership would create significant opportunities at the intersection of culture, creativity and communication.
“I see this partnership between MICA and IGNCA as extremely strategic and futuristic. Synergies across both institutions will result in interesting courses and conversations around art and storytelling. IGNCA, with its interdisciplinary expertise in Indian culture, and MICA, at the forefront of culture, consumer and storytelling, will see significant synergies from this association.”
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, reflected on the role of creativity and creative practitioners in society.
“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.”
The three-year alliance marks an important step towards connecting India’s cultural knowledge and creative traditions with contemporary approaches to communication, branding, education and digital engagement.
