Art, Craft & Textile Traditions

Spotlighting artisans, initiatives and collectives that sustain handmade traditions — from weavers and metalworkers to woodcarvers and potters — and link them meaningfully to travellers through experiences and/or souvenirs.

Who Can Apply: Artisans and/or collectives or enterprises offering handmade artefacts.

Built-Heritage Conservation

Projects that preserve, restore, protect and revitalise built-heritage — be it a public monument or an ancestral home… staying true to the original craftsmanship and materials, reviving lost skills, and supporting local craftspeople, while upholding the principles of sustainability and introducing travellers to our country’s storied past.

Who Can Apply: Any public or private restoration project of monuments, stepwells, gardens/parks, ancestral properties or any other culturally significant buildings.

Culinary Heritage & Traditional Foodways

Community-linked initiatives and enterprises that preserve traditional recipes, techniques, rituals and local ingredients like heritage grains, attempt to address sustainability and climate-related issues, and bring to light lost or marginalised foods and practices… From food walks/tours and farm-to-table experiences to edible souvenirs and national/regional/indigenous food festivals for locals and travellers.

Who Can Apply: Chefs, homestays, hotels, restaurants that serve traditional food of the region, travel enterprises that organise food walks, edible souvenir enterprises, food festival organisers, local food advocacy platforms.

Folk & Classical Dance

For academies, festivals, or performers, who are reviving and showcasing India’s dance forms both classical and folk — such as Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kathakali, Garba, or Chhau — on public platforms accessible to visitors and locals.

Who Can Apply: Classical and folk dance performers, schools, festivals, etc.

Folk & Classical Music

Recognising efforts to revive, reimagine and sustain folk and/or classical music — vocal and instrumental — whether through courses, workshops, festivals, recordings or advocacy that make these traditions accessible to visitors and locals.

Who Can Apply: Folk or Classical vocalists or instrumentalists (individuals, groups or organisations)

Folk Theatre, Puppetry & Storytelling

Individuals and organisations that celebrate and support theatre, puppetry, folk plays, cultural storytelling practices and oral traditions by engaging local talent, retelling and reimagining myths and legends, and bringing traditions alive both for travellers and locals, especially the youth.

Who Can Apply: Theatre groups, puppetry organisations (kathputli, shadow puppetry, etc), folk dramas (koodiyattam, yakshagana, jatra, etc), oral/musical storytelling arts (Pala gaan of Bengal, etc), podcasts on culture.

Heritage Stay Experiences

Heritage homes, havelis, forts, or traditional properties that have been restored, revived and opened to tourists, while maintaining architectural integrity, cultural programming, and local employment, offering deep cultural insight and supporting conservation.

Who Can Apply: Homes, havelis, hotels that have been restored using traditional techniques and local craftsmanship for the primary purpose of hosting travellers.

Rural Experiences & Cultural Immersion

Rural experiences, tours or participatory village programs that immerse travellers in the rhythm of local life, festivals, traditions, and any other aspect of the cultural landscape of a destination that is deeply connected to the identity of the local community and supports traditional livelihoods.

Who Can Apply: Homestays, rural tourism collectives, travel enterprises offering culturally immersive experiences in rural destinations, home museums, etc.

Urban Heritage & Cultural Immersion

Responsible tour operators and guides who design urban itineraries around arts, crafts, food, festivals, culture and living heritage — ensuring community benefit, authenticity and sustainability, while fostering a sense of pride and ownership in the local community as well.

Who Can Apply: Travel enterprises offering culturally immersive tours in urban destinations.