Art X Company and Festivals From India have announced the fourth edition of CultureCon, which will be held on 6 and 7 August at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai.
The two-day conference will bring together professionals from across India’s creative industries, including music, film, design, publishing and the arts, for a programme of keynote sessions, panel discussions, debates, masterclasses and networking events. This year’s edition is being organised in collaboration with the NCPA.
The 2026 programme will focus on the creative economy, examining the systems, infrastructure and business models that support creative careers. Sessions will explore topics including creative skilling, funding, commissioning, AI, cultural policy and creative infrastructure.
Among the music-focused sessions is Building a Music Venue Circuit, featuring Girish ‘Bobby’ Talwar (Founder, Rebellion Management & Entertainment), Shlipi Gupta (Founder & Curatorial Lead, CRUX), Dipti Rao (DGM – Auditorium Operations, Prestige Centre for Performing Arts), Rafael Pereira (Managing Partner, Tinnuts), Dev Bhatia (COO, Big Bad Wolf) and Jishnu Dasgupta (Bass Guitarist and Artist Manager, Swarathma). The discussion will examine the challenges and opportunities involved in building sustainable live music circuits across Indian cities.
Another session, We Will (Sustainably) Rock You, will see Jishnu Dasgupta discuss Swarathma’s renewable energy-powered concert tour and the band’s experience of integrating sustainable practices into live events.
The programme will also include a debate on artificial intelligence and the creative economy featuring Roshan Abbas, Founder of Kommune Arts Pvt. Ltd., and Vijay Subramaniam, Founder and Group CEO of Collective Artists Network. Other sessions will cover pricing creative work, creative education and skills development, accessibility, city-building and policy.
Speakers confirmed for the conference include Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts Pvt. Ltd.; Ashish Kulkarni, Founding Director of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies; Asad Lalljee, CEO of Avid Learning and Curator of the Royal Opera House; Tess Joseph, Co-Founder of Spoken Fest and Casting Director at Tess Joseph Casting; K. V. Kanchana, CEO of the Network of Indian Cultural Enterprises; singer-songwriter Geetu Hinduja; Pankaj Tak, Founder and Director of Some Good Gigs; and Farzana Cama Balpande, Head of BookAChange by BookMyShow Foundation, among others.
The conference will conclude each day with networking sessions and live performances. On 6 August, Kommune will present Don’t Worry, Ho Jayega, a live performance by Roshan Abbas. On the second day, B-Spot Productions will stage Rang Birangi Lavani, a performance exploring the history and evolution of the folk art form.
Commenting on this year’s edition, Rashmi Dhanwani, Conference Director, CultureCon India and Founder-Director of Art X Company and Festivals From India, said, “Building the creative economy isn’t just about funding or infrastructure – it also means making sure more people can participate in and contribute to these conversations as well as take ownership of their careers and growth. That’s what this year’s programme is designed to do. Through a diverse line-up of speakers and sessions, we’re bringing together different perspectives on creative skilling, community building, funding, collaboration, and the future of the sector in a way that’s practical, relevant, and rooted in real experience. Because culture doesn’t exist in isolation, neither should the conversations that shape it.”
Bruce Guthrie, Head, Theatre & Films, NCPA, added, “CultureCon is such an important gathering because it brings the creative community together to share ideas, learn from one another and build new partnerships. At the NCPA, we are proud to have been a home for the performing arts in India for generations and to continue supporting the artists, institutions and ideas that will shape its future. We are delighted to be collaborating with an initiative that celebrates the strength of India’s cultural sector and encourages even greater collaboration across it.”
Tickets at Cultureconindia.com
