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CultureCon 2026 appoints The Other Circle as communications partner for fourth edition
Creative economy conference joins hands with NCPA as Mumbai hosts two-day event in August
Mumbai: As India’s creative economy finds its voice, it’s also getting a louder microphone. The Other Circle (TOC) has been appointed as the communications and public relations partner for the fourth edition of CultureCon 2026, which will be held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai on August 6 and 7.
Presented by Art X Company and Festivals from India, CultureCon has emerged as one of India’s leading multidisciplinary conferences dedicated to the creative economy. This year’s edition, themed Creative Economy: Culture, Capital, Commerce and Careers, will bring together artists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, employers and cultural practitioners to discuss the future of creative work and the infrastructure needed to support it.
The appointment comes as India’s cultural and creative industries increasingly gain recognition as contributors to economic growth and employment. According to UNESCO, the global creative economy contributes around 3.1 per cent of global GDP and accounts for 6.2 per cent of global employment. The sector also employs more people aged between 15 and 29 than any other industry, highlighting its growing importance in shaping future careers.
As communications partner, TOC will lead strategic communications, media relations, narrative development and thought leadership for the conference. The objective is to position CultureCon at the centre of discussions around India’s evolving creative economy across business, education, policymaking, trade and cultural sectors.
Commenting on the partnership, The Other Circle founder and CEO Aakanksha Gupta said, “CultureCon is asking one of the most important questions facing India’s creative sector today: what does it take to build sustainable creative careers? That is a conversation worth amplifying.”
She added that the creative economy deserves the same strategic storytelling that sectors such as technology, finance and startups have enjoyed over the past decade. TOC’s role, she said, is to ensure these conversations reach policymakers, institutions, businesses and creative communities shaping the industry’s future.
Art X Company founder-director Rashmi Dhanwani said CultureCon has always focused on strengthening the ecosystem supporting India’s creative industries by fostering conversations that translate into action.
She said partnering with a communications consultancy that understands both culture and business strategy would help extend those conversations to the audiences that matter most as the conference continues to examine the future of creative work in India.
CultureCon 2026 is expected to bring together around 500 creative professionals over two days. The programme will span five key themes, including the realities of creative work, the business of creative careers, professional mobility, networking and mentorship, and the long-term development of India’s creative economy.
Previous editions have featured speakers including Guneet Monga, Roshan Abbas, Vijay Subramaniam, Nirupama Kotru and Sanjay Roy.
With India’s creative industries steadily evolving into a structured economic sector, the partnership between CultureCon and The Other Circle reflects a growing push to move conversations around creativity beyond artistic expression and towards careers, investment, entrepreneurship and long-term economic impact.
