Maharashtra Culture Policy Roundtable: Summary Findings

Author: Prof Ponam Gandhi, Abhay Sardesai, Rashmi DhanwaniDate: 12 Jun 2026

Topics

Digital Futures

Diversity and Inclusion

Legal and Policy

In September 2024, Maharashtra became one of the few Indian states to adopt a comprehensive cultural policy spanning heritage, arts, language, literature, cinema, folk traditions, and more. As Maharashtra entered the implementation phase of its Cultural Policy 2024, many participants at CultureCon 2025 observed that a policy is only as effective as its implementation.

In response, a roundtable “Maharashtra’s Cultural Policy in Action: What Next?”, held at CultureCon 2025 – India’s annual gathering for the creative economy – in which over 30 participants came together to assess the Maharashtra State Cultural Policy 2024 and discuss what meaningful implementation would require. Co-curated by the Art X Company and Pune International Centre (PIC), the discussion explored ways to make cultural policy more inclusive, responsive, and impactful. Maharashtra State’s Culture Secretary, Dr. Kiran Kulkarni, was present at the roundtable, making it one of the rare occasions on which the government and the creative sector have sat at the same table to discuss the policy’s real-world implications.

This report, titled Maharashtra Culture Policy Roundtable: Summary Findings, documents the key themes and recommendations that emerged from the roundtable.

About the Maharashtra Culture Policy 2024

The Maharashtra Culture Policy is a state-level cultural policy that came into effect in September 2024 and covers ten cultural domains, including crafts, literature, visual arts, archaeology, folk arts, music, theatre, dance, cinema, and devotional culture. The roundtable held at CultureCon 2025 brought together about 35 cultural practitioners, researchers, policymakers, accessibility advocates, and institutional leaders to examine how the policy can move from intent to implementation.

While Maharashtra’s Cultural Policy 2024 sets an ambitious vision, the roundtable underscored that the policy’s success will depend on sustained collaboration among government, civil society, and cultural practitioners, supported by inclusive, evidence-based implementation. The policy is available on the Maharashtra Government website here.

Key Findings

Adopt an ecosystem approach: Recognise culture as a living, evolving entity that bridges traditional and contemporary practices.
Bridge the implementation gap: Ensure policy intent aligns with the lived experiences of diverse communities, including artists, rural practitioners, persons with disabilities, and linguistic minorities.
Institutionalise inclusion: Integrate accessibility and inclusion into policy infrastructure rather than treating them as optional add-ons.
Prioritise strategic infrastructure: Invest in translation services to accommodate Maharashtra’s diverse, migratory population and establish robust impact assessment frameworks to guide investment.
Support creative livelihoods: Foster the creative economy by strengthening professional development for artists, providing accessible funding, and leveraging CSR and private-sector partnerships.