Cultural Heritage Management: Emerging Career Opportunities and Changing Landscapes

Explore how navigating the bustling streets of Ahmedabad’s Pols, absorbing the tranquil Buddhist chants of Ladakh, or admiring the vibrant Kathakali dance in Kerala can become part of your professional journey. Read on to discover emerging career opportunities in cultural heritage management.

In recent years, India has witnessed a significant spotlight on its cultural and heritage sectors, apparent by their increasing prominence across various segments. This heightened attention is exemplified by a surge in tourism, supported by both governmental initiatives and global interest. According to the Ministry of Tourism, foreign tourist arrivals in 2023 increased by 64 percent compared to 2022. Important to note is that this surge extends beyond the realm of tourism. Sectors such as fine arts, museums, textile conservation and fashion, architecture, education, media and publishing, music, and performing arts, as well as emerging fields like digital and AI, are increasingly infusing heritage and tradition to craft unique products, services, and experiences.

This article explores the exciting career avenues and entrepreneurship prospects that have emerged due to the shifting landscape of the cultural heritage sector.

The Power of Cultural Heritage

Heritage was once confined to preservation and side-lined in development discussions. However, this perspective has transformed with the understanding of cultural heritage’s crucial role as an enabler of sustainable development and a potent force to counter the effects of climate change.

According to Professor Molly Kaushal, Director of Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University, the greatest innovation in the field is not a specific initiative but “new value-based approaches and practices that are expanding focus from the object or built heritage to the practicing community of that heritage.” This exciting development puts communities at the centre of heritage conservation and expands the avenues through which to keep heritage relevant.

Cultural heritage generates employment and revenue, significantly contributing to economic development. It has also evolved into a catalyst of growth in the creative industries, tourism, design and art. Conversely, India’s economic growth is fuelling interest in culture, creativity, and heritage. This reciprocal relationship enhances local economies while promoting sustainable development. This is further evident by UNESCO’s commitment to safeguard and protect cultural heritage, highlighting the enduring power of cultural heritage in shaping a prosperous and resilient future.

What is Heritage Management?

Heritage Management is the practice of preserving, protecting, and promoting cultural heritage. This includes tangible assets such as historical buildings, monuments, cities, natural habitats, and artefacts, as well as intangible elements like traditions, food, music, languages, and rituals. It involves a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses history, archaeology, conservation, museology, ecology and tourism, aiming to maintain cultural heritage for future generations. Professionals in this field balance the needs of preservation with those of public access and educational outreach, often collaborating with local communities, governments, and international organisations to safeguard and revitalise cultural assets. In India, the government has launched major schemes anchored around the concepts of heritage, such as ‘HRIDAY’.

We spoke to Ashish Trambadia, a conservation architect and former director of the Ahmedabad World Heritage City Trust, to understand the expertise required for city-wide heritage conservation. (Ahmedabad is India’s first city to get UNESCO’s inscription of ‘World Heritage City’.) He explains, “The Trust has led community engagement, disaster management workshops, policymaking, and developed a multilingual mobile app for heritage interpretation, all for capacity building of the local people and officers.”  India is witnessing a growing trend of cities proudly aspiring for recognition of their distinct identities and heritage. This phenomenon is steadily giving rise to the demand for trained specialists in the heritage sector.

Heritage management, which offers a holistic approach to cultural promotion, is a rapidly growing sector in India and abroad, creating new opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds due to its interdisciplinary nature. In India, the Centre for Heritage Management at Ahmedabad University is at the forefront of this movement. Their Master’s Programme in Heritage Management, the first of its kind in South Asia, offers a two-year degree dedicated to equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed for a meaningful future in the field. The course provides an understanding of heritage governance and business management, while also focusing on developing critical thinking and entrepreneurship skills, encouraging students to establish their own cultural and tourism enterprises. Ahmedabad University aims to educate a new cohort of committed students from diverse disciplinary, geographic, and cultural backgrounds.

If you’re looking to know more about a career in heritage management, click here.

Emerging Careers in India’s Cultural Heritage sector

As Heritage management is an emerging sector, it offers boundless career and business opportunities, especially since it champions the cross-pollination of heritage in all sectors. Roles in conservation and preservation, heritage research and education, content creation, craft development, museum curation, community engagement, textile revitalisation, gaming, e-commerce, cultural tourism, entrepreneurship, hospitality, craft development and curation of digital experiences are just a few of the possibilities across government, private and social sectors. Once considered niche or unconventional, these professions are now gaining significant momentum and recognition. It is an opportune moment for aspiring professionals in these dynamic fields.

“There is no sector where heritage is not involved today. Its discourse is becoming the centre of all—the humanities, social sciences, management,” adds Professor Kaushal.  The role of a heritage manager, is to contribute towards making “heritage viable in a manner that it continues to be a living tradition and relevant enough to be passed down to next generation.”

There has been a steady rise in innovations and business ventures centred around India’s cultural and heritage arenas. Institutions like the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bangalore and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in Delhi blend traditional and contemporary art to create unique cultural experiences. The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai combines heritage with modern luxury and world-class events.

The fashion brand Sabyasachi supports thousands of artisans and brings Indian textile craft to global fashion, integrating cultural sensitivity with modern ethos. It’s worth noting the significant rise in music and art festivals, with attendance at India’s music festivals increasing by nearly 82% in 2023, according to a Book My Show report. Echoes of Earth, India’s greenest music festival, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Arts Festival attract music and art enthusiasts and revive heritage structures, energising local economies. Moreover, heritage tourism is experiencing significant growth due to its appeal to travellers and further supported by the Indian government’s commitment to making cultural heritage easier to access. The Swadesh Darshan scheme, spearheaded by the Ministry of Tourism, represents a pivotal initiative in rejuvenating India’s cultural heritage to enhance both domestic and international tourism.

Pune-based Super Gaming has developed Indus, a battle-royal game similar to PUBG and Fortnite but with an Indian touch. Featuring Indian classical music and characters like Sir-Taj and Big-Taj, it combines colourful graphics with futuristic Indian elements. This new space is poised for enormous growth, as recently acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additionally, work is progressing in VR and AR. Virtual Reality can transport users to historical sites and recreate lost monuments, while Augmented Reality enhances experiences with digital overlays and interactive exhibitions. Digitising heritage collections ensures longer life and broader accessibility of cultural assets.

In public infrastructure, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, curated by Rajiv Sethi, is globally acclaimed for its integration of Indian art and culture. New airports and historical attractions like the Statue of Unity, the Statue of Equality, and the Jatayu Earth Centre demonstrate India’s dedication to celebrating its past and attracting visitors.

The list of such initiatives is extensive for those who choose to delve deeper. These ventures preserve India’s heritage, drive economic growth, and create career opportunities for Heritage Management specialists.

“There is so much cultural heritage in this country and so much that can be done with it. I wanted to be part of the group making it more accessible and more vibrant. In this sector, you must chart your own course, which is very exciting.” Reflects Anshika Jain, Program Associate at the INTACH Heritage Academy in Delhi, and an alum of the Heritage Management Master’s Programme at Ahmedabad University.

Cultural Heritage as a tool of Global Good

Heritage management plays a significant role beyond conservation and economic development. A professional heritage manager can contribute to addressing global challenges such as economic crises, and climate change. Culture offers wealth beyond monetary value, defining identity, promoting social cohesion, engaging youth, and nurturing social resilience. These benefits, though hard to quantify, have an immeasurable impact on the development of societies and a nation.

Aspiring to Become a Heritage Manager? Begin here…

Candidates for Heritage Management can come from any background—history, computer science, hospitality, entrepreneurship, social sciences, business administration, humanities. As long as they are passionate about heritage, they can integrate expertise in heritage management into their unique areas of specialisation. If you want to explore the potential of contributing to the conservation, revitalisation, sustainable development, and advocacy of India’s heritage, or if you have innovative ideas for repurposing heritage for new and unprecedented applications, reach out to the Centre for Heritage Management at Ahmedabad University.

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Explore how alumni from the Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University are impacting India’s cultural landscape, read it here.