Artists, Policymakers and Thinkers Chart Path for India’s Creative Economy at Sonal Mansingh's CICD Swarnika Samvaad

New Delhi: India’s cultural wealth is not confined to monuments and memory. It lives in the knowledge it carries, the communities it sustains, the talent it nurtures and the economic opportunities it can unlock. That larger role of culture in national development stood at the centre of Swarnika Samvaad: Dialogue on Creative and Cultural Economy of India, convened by living legend, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh, at the India International Centre in October, 2026 as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Centre for Indian Classical Dances (CICD).

The dialogue brought together voices from public life, academia, cultural institutions, the arts and creative industries to examine how India can link its civilisational knowledge and artistic traditions with contemporary priorities on the road to Viksit Bharat @ 2047. Discussions unfolded across three connected themes: culture as a driver of national development, the need to expand engagement with cultural and creative expressions, and the practical ecosystem of skills, enterprise, policy and investment required to build a stronger creative economy.

A special moment came with the unveiling of Rhythm of a Lifetime, an illustrated book on Dr. Sonal Mansingh created by school students -- an initiative that brought a younger generation into the celebration of her artistic journey and emphasised the importance of transmitting cultural knowledge to the future.

Opening the first edition of the dialogue, Dr. Sonal Mansingh noted that further editions would follow. The seminar focused on dance, drama, music and other performing arts.

“The cultural and creative economy must be recognised as an important contributor to India’s economy,” she said. “We need a broader dialogue that brings together cultural practitioners, policymakers and relevant ministries to explore how the performing arts can contribute to economic growth and how cultural practitioners can be better supported through effective policies. Creativity cannot be viewed in isolation from culture, because our cultural roots give creativity its true meaning. This dialogue is an important step towards developing a policy framework that recognises the contribution of artists and strengthens India’s cultural and creative economy,” the legendary artist said.

She emphasised that without culture, creativity falls flat, observed that the economy is a complex subject, and expressed the wish to engage in dialogue with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The seriousness with which such discussions should take place, she remarked, is currently lacking.

The hall was filled with internationally acclaimed artists, academicians, thinkers and policymakers. Swati Kovind, daughter of former President Ram Nath Kovind, too, participated at the event.

India, Culture & Society

The inaugural plenary, “India, Culture & Society,” featured Bansuri Swaraj, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha); Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha); and Dr. Sonal Mansingh.

Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of the late former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and an accomplished lawyer, said there are only a few people from whom she has sought inspiration, and Sonal Mansingh is one of them. She described Mansingh as an inspiration, especially in her journey of spiritual evolution, adding that Mansingh brought Radha Rani alive before her.

A warm camaraderie between political opponents was also on display as Swaraj shared the stage with BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra. Respectfully addressing him as “Dada” (he had been part of the same Prime Minister Modi delegation as her for discussions on Operation Sindoor), she said she had not seen a more decent person than him, while agreeing that they fight over their ideological and political differences. The spectators particularly enjoyed the blurring of political lines when dialogue is held between public representatives in the interest of the nation.

Bansuri Swaraj observed that today’s youth have the support of technology and monetisation, and that society can no longer romanticise the struggles of earlier artists; artists must now become engines of India’s economic growth. The policy framework to give impetus to the creative economy, she noted, has been initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bharat, she noted, is the largest producer of films in the world in terms of volume, including both Hindi and regional cinema. "The Union Budget recognised the orange economy for the first time and announced content-creation labs," she said. She also stressed the need for quality content so that students learn about it from a nascent stage and contribute to the creative economy. She referred to Krishna Katha and Sundar Kand Path, underlined the importance of buying Made-in-India products during Diwali, and recalled that Shriram Kala Kendra had been part of their childhood. She concluded that India must create demand for its creative economy, after which supply will follow.

Sasmit Patra said that anyone who grew up in Odisha in his generation would know Dr. Sonal Mansingh; she is an institution in herself, and Odisha is incomplete without her. In Bansuri Swaraj he saw echoes of Sushma Swaraj -- in her manner of speaking and tone. "Her way of speaking is powerful; though born to privilege, she works as a commoner, which is a powerful trait," he said about his parliamentary colleague.

Many people, he observed, still regard playing an instrument or practising dance or music as a waste of time and believe one should only study. Yet art and culture heal the soul; music, he said, heals his own.

"Culture is India’s continuing civilisation. Unfortunately it is rarely discussed in classrooms; people often speak of a glorious past while forgetting that it is a living, continuing civilisation. Why can tradition and modernity not become partners? If one is Western one is not considered Indian, and if one is traditional one is not considered modern -- why this contradiction? Why can both not co-exist? Parampara (tradition), Prayog (experimentation) and Pragati (progress) can empower culture," he said.

"Society often says it “supports” culture rather than “invests” in it, while treating other sectors as investments that can multiply returns. Culture needs to be immersed in, not injected. Every rupee of CSR should bring a return on investment, yet the question of how one obtains a return on investment in culture remains an agony India continues to live with," Patra said.

Culture as a Driver of National Development

The first thematic session, “Culture as a Driver of National Development,” moderated by Dr. Sampadanand Mishra, Director, Centre for Human Sciences, Rishihood University, examined culture’s place in education, tourism, diplomacy and community development. Speakers included Ambassador Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India; Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts; Abhijit Gokhale, Akhil Bharatiya Sangathan Mantri, Sanskar Bharati; Anurag Bhadouria, public leader; and Lily Pandeya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture.

Abhijit Gokhale stated that times may change, but certain principles will always remain the same. Every person in Bharat is a cultural practitioner because all practise the values of their tradition. "Art is an expression of culture," he said.

Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi remarked that between being an educated person and a cultured person, one would choose to be cultured. "Culture is an in-built mechanism in every Indian. The beauty of Indian culture is that it changes every day yet remains rooted. Education is a part of culture, not the other way around; culture is a reflection of character and personality. It is embedded in Indian tradition to worship Mother Ganga -- even though the river did not technically give birth to us -- because that is in our culture to worship nature," he said.

The leadership of India will come from the nation’s intellectual prowess. To move towards Viksit Bharat, culture cannot be removed from holistic development. He listed key elements to focus on: culture, creativity (there is an innate threat to creativity from AI; creativity requires sadhana), sadhana (consciousness), contentment, consideration, compassion and commitment (towards self and nation). On a co-panellist’s suggestion, character was also added. Instead of saying “This is my daughter; she is doing MBBS. By the way, she also learns Bharatanatyam,” he said he waits for the time when one can proudly say, “This is my daughter; she is learning Bharatanatyam and, by the way, she is also doing MBBS.”

Ambassador Shyam Saran observed that Indian culture embraces diversity without losing its identity. Indians call nature their mother, yet so not care about maintaining cleanliness. "The Swachh Bharat initiative was a positive step in showing faithfulness to the mother," he said.

Expanding Engagement With Cultural and Creative Expressions

The second session, “Expanding Engagement with Cultural and Creative Expressions,” moderated by Sunit Tandon, focused on festivals, crafts, cuisine, performing arts, tourism and digital platforms. It featured Padma Bhushan Rajeev Sethi, Padma Shri Paresh Maity and filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (who joined online).

Vivek Agnihotri started by expressing his deep respect and admiration for Dr Sonal Mansingh.

"What separates humans from animals is the ability to create art, literature and music -- the soul of a society. The unsolved puzzles of life are communicated through art, literature and music," he said.

He declared himself a proud Indian and recalled that India gave the Natyashastra to the world.

"Art, culture and music express the deeper philosophical and metaphysical realities of life. When culture is present in people’s lives, society becomes happier and experiences less conflict; the conflicts and trust deficit seen today stem from its absence," he said.

He expressed sadness that culture and creativity are being lost to politics, which he believes has taken up more space by sidelining the arts. He said that India can never become a Vishwa Guru without its philosophers, musicians, dancers, writers, filmmakers, theatre personalities and thinkers.

"Political ambassadors have taken over the posts of cultural ambassadors. Why do political gurus not talk about culture or creativity? In the last ten years, he asked, has India produced great dancers and vidushis of the stature of Sonal-ji? Great dancers, musicians and philosophers are needed. Creative expression has been outsourced to politics, which is sad. Cultural ambassadors of India should use culture as soft power to impact the world. Where are the great philosophers? India can never become Vishwa Guru without its philosophers, musicians, dancers, writers, filmmakers, theatre personalities and thinkers. Without art, culture and music, India cannot be a great civilisation," he said.

Artist Paresh Maity said creativity is a mirror that has existed since prehistoric times. Love and emotions continue even in the age of AI, and AI cannot replicate them or even create personalities like Sonal Mansingh.

"India is so rich in culture that the country can stand on one side and the rest of the world on the other," he said.

He said he recently heard that AI can unlock and steal a car, which shows the need to return to traditional methods that cannot be so easily manipulated.

Rajeev Sethi emphasised "sanskar" (culture) and sabhyata (civilisation). He stressed the need for art that moves people.

Citing the example of Prada’s Kolhapuri chappals, he noted that the issue is not merely economic injustice; local labour should be promoted for economic mobility.

Building India's Cultural and Creative Economy

The third session, “Building India’s Cultural and Creative Economy,” moderated by Dr. (Prof.) Ramesh C. Gaur, addressed professional skills, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, intellectual property, public policy and investment. Speakers included Dr. Mandavi Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya; Jayesh Bhatia, Partner and Managing Director, Intellecap; Sandhya Raman, Costume Designer and Curator; and Rajan Navani, Chairman and Managing Director, Jetline Group of Companies and JetSynthesys.

Together the three themes connected recognition of culture as a national asset with the need to widen public engagement and strengthen the structures that support creative work. Swarnika Samvaad aims to develop a shared vision for culture’s role in India’s development and identify priorities across policy, education, skills and livelihoods.

About Dr Sonal Mansingh's CICD

Founded in New Delhi in 1977 by Dr. Sonal Mansingh, the Centre for Indian Classical Dances (also known as Shri Kamakhya Kalapeeth) has spent nearly five decades nurturing generations of dancers and enriching India’s classical dance traditions through a holistic approach that brings together dance, yoga, Sanskrit, music and allied arts. As it marks its Golden Jubilee, CICD continues its work of keeping India’s living cultural traditions vibrant and relevant to contemporary life.