Arts & Culture NGOs in India

Aagaaz Theatre Trust

Delhi arts organisation using theatre and a community library to build resilience among children, young people, and women in Nizamuddin Basti.

Performances have played in more than 12 cities in schools, theatre festivals, and other public spaces across

AARDE Foundation

Chennai trust conserving Pulicat Lagoon's natural and built heritage since 2007.

Ability Foundation

Cross-disability organisation working on employment, media and inclusion

Adivasi Lives Matter

Prayog's media platform training Adivasi youth to tell their own digital stories.

500+ Adivasi Creators

Adivasi Socio Education and Cultural Association (ASECA)

Preserving Santali language and literature through the Ol Chiki script

All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA)

Enterprise support and market access for handloom and handicraft artisans since 2004

Livelihoods of nearly 2 lakh artisans uplifted across India

Anahad Foundation

Recording and preserving India's folk music through its mobile Backpack Studio since 2013

Over 6,000 artists connected on the Anahad platform

Ankur Society for Alternatives in Education

Experimental, arts-based education with children and communities in Delhi's marginalised neighbourhoods

During 2020-21 Ankur Society for Alternatives in Education distributed ration kits to 400 families in Delhi's

Artent Education Foundation

Bringing structured art education (Kalakriti) into Indian schools for grades 1 to 12

Kalakriti Art Programme (KAP) currently runs in four schools across Pune and Mumbai, impacting 500 students

Artisan Futures Development Foundation

Chennai foundation running craft-based artisan enhancement programmes with a focus on women's livelihoods.

Avehi Public Charitable (Educational) Trust

Mumbai audio-visual resource centre using media and archives to advance education and social awareness since 1981

Avehi reaches over 20,000 viewers each year through its lending library and around 10,000 more through campaig

Babul Films Society

Hyderabad society running the Babul Environmental Film Festival to build climate and ecological awareness through youth filmmaking.

banglanatak dot com

Culture-based rural development, reviving traditional Bengali art forms since 2000

Barnamala Educational and Cultural Society

Kharagpur society running education, cultural and rural-development projects in West Bengal.

Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

Guardian of India's manuscript heritage since 1917

One of the largest collections of rare books and manuscripts — over 1,25,000 books and over 28,000 manuscripts

Bharati Kala Research and Training Council

Kolkata council working on the research, training and promotion of the arts.

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

Programmes carried out through 367 constituent institutions and 119 Kendras (branches) in India

Bhasha Research and Publication Centre

Documenting and conserving India's marginal tribal languages since 1996

128+ Bhasha eBooks published online, promoting accessibility to knowledge

Bookaroo Trust

Trust behind the Bookaroo children's literature festival, bringing books alive for kids.

Each of the past 17 Bookaroos has been more exciting than the one before.

Charaka Women's Multipurpose Industrial Co-operative Society

Women-run handloom cooperative making naturally dyed cotton fabric in the Western Ghats.

this intervention has grown into a large village industry with a workforce of 800 artisans across eight distri

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS)

Mumbai's museum, built by its citizens

Houses approximately 70,000 artefacts spanning art, archaeology and natural history

Children's Book Trust

Non-profit publisher of well-designed, affordable books for Indian children

Has more than 1,000 children's book titles to its credit, published at deliberately subsidised prices

Craft Revival Trust

Safeguarding South Asia's intangible craft heritage through documentation and advocacy since 1999

Maintains a comprehensive database of over 70,000 traditional artisans, weavers, and artists across India

Craftizen Foundation

Craft-based livelihood training for disabled adults, women and traditional artisans.

10,100 Beneficiaries skilled

Crafts Council of India

Preserving India's living crafts since 1964

Spans ten affiliated State Councils, touching thousands of artisan families across 28 states

DakshinaChitra Museum

Living museum preserving South Indian art, architecture and crafts, since 1996

Collection of 18 authentic historical houses with contextual exhibits

Darpana Academy of Performing Arts

Arts. Commitment. Innovation. Since 1949

Since 1949, Darpana dancers have performed in over 120 countries worldwide

Dastkar

Reviving Indian handicrafts and craftspeople's livelihoods through bazaars and training since 1981

Working with over 1 lakh craftspeople in 25 states across India

Dastkar Andhra

Sustaining handloom weaving as a viable rural livelihood

Dastkari Haat Samiti

India's national craftspeople's association, founder of Delhi's Dilli Haat, since 1986

75,000+ artisans enabled through Dilli Haat

Donyi Polo Cultural & Charitable Trust

Preserving Arunachal Pradesh's indigenous cultures through education

5,000+ families reached through the Community Outreach Program

Drishti

Uses films, community video and radio to build awareness of human rights in India.

Starting from 1999, with one of the first community radio projects of India, and uptill now we have engaged wi

Foundation for Social Transformation

Indigenous philanthropic organisation enabling grassroots initiatives across Northeast India

103,552+ direct beneficiaries

Gavaksh

Post-school academic support, book clubs and creative workshops for children.

1100+ Students Passed Out

Gramin Vikas Evam Chetna Sansthan

Empowers women artisans and marginalised Thar Desert communities through craft

So far, more than 50,000 women have benefited from these programs, and thousands of women have become self-rel

HeART Beat Foundation

Chennai trust promoting art by artists with disabilities to support their livelihoods

Hinduja Foundation

Healthcare, education, water and culture since 1968

Helping 1,000+ children with Type 1 diabetes thrive

India Foundation for the Arts (IFA)

National grantmaking organisation supporting arts practice, research and education

Has supported and implemented over 900 arts and culture projects across India, disbursing over Rs 41.28 crore

Indian Society for Performers and Teachers of Dance (ISPTD)

Sets standards and certifies dance teachers and performers in India.

INTACH

Conserving India's natural, built and cultural heritage

India's membership organisation for heritage awareness and conservation \u2014 documenting and restoring the c

ITC Sangeet Research Academy

A modern gurukul for Hindustani classical music

JSS Mahavidyapeetha

From Suttur Mutt, a 350-institution education and health movement

A network of more than 350 institutions

JSW Foundation

The JSW Group's social development arm

2+ million lives impacted across India

KADAM

Reviving natural-fibre handicraft skills and rural livelihoods since 2006

10,000+ artisans impacted

Kala Ghoda Association

Keeping South Mumbai's art district alive

2.2 Mn visitors

Kala Raksha

Traditions are preserved when they flourish

Kalakshetra Foundation

India's foremost academy for Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, founded in 1936

The Besant Arundale Senior Secondary School was founded by Rukmini Devi in 1973. With a strength of about 500,

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya

Residential school combining academic study with Indian classical music training.

Kattaikkuttu Sangam

Rural performers' collective preserving and teaching the Kattaikkuttu theatre tradition near Kanchipuram

During its 18 years in existence this unique residential theater school trained, educated and cared for more t

Khamir

Reviving the crafts and cultural ecology of Kutch, Gujarat

Kochi Biennale Foundation

Runs the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India's first contemporary art biennale, from Kochi

Kolkata Sanved

Uses dance movement therapy for trauma recovery with survivors of trafficking and violence.

In 2024-25 Kolkata Sanved reached 4,565 individuals directly through its dance movement therapy programmes, ru

Kolkata Society for Cultural Heritage

Combines heritage conservation with women's livelihoods in the Sundarbans and eastern India

12+ years of service

Krishnamurti Foundation India

Trust running schools, study centres and the archive of J. Krishnamurti's teachings

Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO)

Nurturing arts education and cultural documentation in Ladakh

Manzil Mystics

Uses music learning to transform education for children in Delhi schools

Murty Trust

Igniting ideas of India — heritage, nature and science

Museum of Art & Photography (MAP)

Bengaluru nonprofit museum holding over 20,000 artworks spanning Indian art, textiles, craft and photography

MAP (Museum of Art & Photography), Bengaluru, holds a growing collection of over 60,000 objects spanning paint

NalandaWay Foundation

Arts, theatre and music programmes that build confidence in children from low-income communities

GutarGoo programme impacted 1,056 children aged 3-6 and 811 children aged 0-3 across 36 Anganwadi centres in 2

Narmada Niranjani Paryavaran Sanrakshan Samiti

Documenting and preserving the sacred heritage sites of the Narmada river

250+ ancient sacred sites documented along 1,500+ km of the Narmada river (2015-2020)

Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative

Conserving Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery and the historic Nizamuddin Basti as one living heritage district

Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative spans 250 acres in Delhi's Nizamuddin area

Orissa Rural & Urban Producers' Association (ORUPA)

Bhubaneswar federation marketing Odisha's handicraft and handloom artisans' work since 1990

Today to its credit ORUPA caters to the need of 5500 artisans families belonging to 40 different crafts all ov

Panjab Digital Library

Digitising and preserving a century of Punjab's manuscripts and heritage

Digitized over 100 million pages from various of collections

Paramparik Karigar

An association of craftspersons keeping tradition alive

ParrotHouse Foundation for Folklore Preservation

Section 8 nonprofit preserving and documenting India's oral and cultural folklore traditions.

People's Archive of Rural India (PARI)

A living archive of rural India's people, work and everyday life

Publishes journalism in 15 languages — described by the org as the largest multilingual journalistic endeavour

Prabhaav Foundation

Delhi foundation for social development through education, health, culture and environment

Prakriti Foundation

Curating performing arts, literature and heritage festivals in Chennai since 1998

Pratham Books

A book in every child's hand

7,000 books published

Qasab

A co-operative of Kutch embroidery artisans since 1997

It is a collective,socio-cultural enterprise comprising 1,200 rural master craftswomen from 11 ethnic communit

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum

One man's 22,000-artifact anthology of everyday India

Collection of about 22,000 priceless artifacts mirroring the everyday life of India, amassed over 60 years

Ranga Shankara

Bengaluru theatre founded by Arundhati Nag that has become one of India's leading platforms for live performance

Since its inception in 2009, the AHA! Theatre for Children Festival at Ranga Shankara has showcased acclaimed

RIWATCH

Linking Culture with Prosperity

Runs a unique ethnographic museum since 2017, the only people's museum in Northeast India

Roja Muthiah Research Library

Chennai archive preserving Tamil-language print heritage, from early books to some 300,000 items

50,000 books (plus another 50,000 items like periodicals and ephemera) originally collected by founder Roja Mu

RPG Foundation

Youth skilling, women, environment and heritage

1,35,000+ community members impacted

Saathi Samaj Sevi Sanstha

Craft livelihoods, health and education for communities in Bastar.

700 Villages we Work With

Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust

Preserving Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram as a living memorial and centre for constructive work

The library and archives of the Gandhi Memorial Museum consists of 34 111 letters - either to Gandhi or from h

Sahapedia

Open-access digital encyclopedia of Indian arts, cultures and heritage since 2011

Since its inception in May 2017, Sahapedia has documented 450+ museums in 70+ cities on this platform, and thi

Sahodari Foundation

Trans-led work on education, livelihoods and rights

12,564 transgender beneficiaries supported

Sampoorna Bamboo Kendra

Bamboo-based livelihoods and craft training for tribal communities in Melghat.

Sampoorna Bamboo Kendra has provided bamboo handicraft and bamboo housing training to more than 10,000 youth (

Sanatkada Trust

Lucknow trust reviving traditional crafts and heritage while building livelihoods for marginalised artisan women

Sanskriti Foundation

Nurturing India's living cultural heritage

Since 1993 it has hosted over 600 artists, poets, scholars, and writers as well as some 300 craftspersons and

Save Handloom Foundation

Uses blockchain authentication to fight fake handlooms and protect weaver livelihoods

Shiv Nadar Foundation

Transformational education to bridge socio-economic divides

Over 56,000 alumni and students directly reached in 30 years

Shrujan

Reviving Kutch's traditional hand embroidery since 1969

Slam Out Loud

Arts-based learning that builds creative confidence in children aged 6-17 from disadvantaged communities

50,000 children reached directly

Snehadhara Foundation

Arts-based therapy and inclusion programmes for children and adults with disabilities.

14500 Direct Beneficiaries

Social Health and Education Development India (SHED India)

Thanjavur NGO working on health, education and folk arts since 1999

In 2020-2021 SHED India supported and benefited 783 children through its CHILDLINE 1098 helpline interventions

SPARROW (Sound & Picture Archives for Research on Women)

Archiving women's histories, voices and images

21,005 photographs and 5,124 print visuals in the archives

SPIC MACAY

Indian classical music and culture amongst youth

~5,000 volunteer-driven programmes a year, reaching ~30 million students

The Asiatic Society of Mumbai

Mumbai's 220-year-old home of learning

The Library has over 100,000 books

The Community Library Project

Runs free, community-owned libraries in Delhi and Gurugram.

40000+ Books in Collection

The Dharavi Dream Project

Mumbai's first 'AfterSchool of Hip-Hop,' mentoring young people from Dharavi through music, dance, and arts education.

150+ students nurtured by 8 instructors across 5 fields

The Kala Chaupal Trust

Arts trust founded in 2018 running folk-art, mural and water-heritage programmes

The Kutumb Foundation

Delhi NCR non-profit using libraries, theatre and football to reach disadvantaged youth

over 10,000 beneficiaries

The Madras Seva Sadan

A legacy of compassion in education, arts and social service since 1928

15 institutions across 4 campuses, including 6 schools educating over 4,000 students

The Mythic Society

Guarding Karnataka's history since 1909

Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society published continuously from 1909, 111 volumes to date

The Neemrana Music Foundation

New Delhi music foundation running choirs and a scholarship programme for young musicians

150 artists trained over the years, with all soloists Indian, performed at the foundation's opera gala

Tisser Artisans Trust

Bridging rural artisans to modern markets while preserving traditional crafts since 2015

50,000+ artisans empowered

Tripura Swrwngnai Buthu (TSB)

Youth-led cultural preservation and educational advocacy for Tripura's tribal community

Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC)

Hands-on science education for students and teachers, founded by Dr Vikram Sarabhai in 1966

200 lakh+ students reached till now

Village Lab Foundation, Ladakh

Nubra Valley organisation building intergenerational, place-based learning models rooted in Ladakhi heritage.

Vishwa Yuvak Kendra

National youth centre running training and leadership programmes for young people

282,000+ beneficiaries across 1,588+ programmes in 25 states

WomenWeave Charitable Trust

Sally Holkar's trust making handloom weaving a dignified, profitable livelihood for women.