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What happened at the NICE-PCP Punjab State Chapter Launch Event?

On 18th January 2025, something important happened in Punjab. 


A group of stakeholders including established and emerging cultural brands, ecosystem enablers, industry and investor bodies, and social agencies got together to discuss why we don’t see more profitable and responsible cultural brands emerge from Punjab. 

We debated how we can change this status quo, and build a modern cultural economy in Punjab. 


By participating in this important conversation, these awesome pioneering ecosystem players have pledged their support for an under-represented community (cultural entrepreneurs) and an under-estimated business and investment opportunity (cultural brands).


(Watch the video for glimpses of the day!)

Here are the 5 key take aways from the conversation.


What is a cultural brand? How is it different from a commercial brand or trader?

There are 3 must-haves for a brand to qualify as a ‘cultural brand’


  1. Tangible brand: Cultural brands are not hobby projects or charity cases. The entrepreneur must have done some ground work to establish a concrete business entity to sell their cultural product or service.

  2. Nature of offering: The product or service being offered is rooted in a traditional heritage, craft, technique, community or ecology. This includes brands building products and services in verticals such as:

  3. Responsible operations: The brand must treat its suppliers - artisans, craftspeople, local communities, the environment - as a key stakeholder in their commercial success. It must balance profit with purpose to ensure it is not exploitative of the communities and ecologies that enable its products and services. 



Why do cultural brands matter in the economic sense?

Why should investors be interested in the cultural economy opportunity? 


Cultural brands in India are a massive missed opportunity. Despite yoga and ayurveda being invented here, we hardly have any share in the global industry. Despite having one of the oldest and richest heritage and civilization in the world, we have negligible share of global tourism. 


In Punjab, this issue is even worse. There is no cohesive, integrated approach to build a cultural economy, we have zero exclusive GI tagged products despite having so many documented craft clusters and unique handicrafts originating in the state.


This is not charity but an economic opportunity which must be approached and built the way we are building other sectors such as clean energy or fintech, and the way the successful tech industry was built 20 years ago, with sustained collaborative action.


Handicrafts are one of the highest margin export items in global trade. A booming youth population that is open to supporting responsible brands and sustainable businesses, and an easy-to-use digital infrastructure for marketing, distribution and payments makes this the best time for profitable cultural brands to thrive in India and internationally.


At the same time, enabling rural, artisanal and women producer communities with predictable income, and supporting youth to take up cultural entrepreneurship will all lead to net positive economic and social change for Punjab, currently reeling under unemployment, destruction of local communities, drug menace and immigration/ brain drain.


There are enough successful examples of cultural brands that have stood the test of time, breaking the quality-and-scale barrier, making significant profits, and empowering and uplifting their supplier communities (artisans). For instance, FabIndia, Good Earth, Zwende and Svaasa at the India level, and brands such as P-Tal, JaggerCane and Phulkari Forever from Punjab making a strong identity in the brand landscape. 

Together, we need to create an enabling ecosystem for many more such brands to emerge and thrive from Punjab.

What are the major challenges for cultural brands to grow and scale in Punjab?

Where can NICE-PCP Punjab State Chapter make a difference?


A lack of community

Cultural entrepreneurs are usually on their own, operating in isolation and fighting their battles alone. We need a community and a network that can bring all players in the cultural economy together on one platform to collectivize and address pressing issues.

NICE-PCP Punjab state chapter would discover and create a community of cultural brands from Punjab, offering a single platform where common issues can be addressed and cultural entrepreneurs can access the support and resources they need to grow and scale.

Lack of investor interest

Investors do not see cultural brands as an investable opportunity and this must be changed with sustained advocacy and ongoing conversations, as well as making more emerging brands investor-ready. At the same time, cultural brands cannot be incubated the same way a tech or commercial brand would be.

NICE-PCP Punjab state chapter will run incubator and accelerator programs that have been specially curated to address the challenges unique to cultural brands. 

A fragmented approach

Currently, there is no concerted effort to bring the cultural industries together for growth, and various players work in silos. Tourism brands promote stand-alone hotels, handicraft brands promote their own products, and food brands promote their restaurants. But there is no concerted effort to create a cohesive destination experience - where stay, food, shopping, and cultural exposure all come together as a whole. This approach not only increases share of wallet but benefits all players in the cultural economy instead of just one hotel or one handicraft seller. 


The NICE-PCP Chapter will work to engage and connect all stakeholders to build a modern cultural economy in Punjab:.


  • Cultural entrepreneurs to build strong brand narratives and streamline business operations for efficient and profitable outcomes at scale

  • NGOs, SHGs and collectives to help on the supply side since they are directly involved with artisanal and rural clusters and women workers

  • Investor agencies and industry bodies to bring new growth, funding and market access opportunities to cultural brands from Punjab

  • Government agencies for joint advocacy and collective negotiation to smooth the way for cultural entrepreneurs to set up and scale profitable enterprises in Punjab

  • Academic institutions to build awareness and interest among youth about the cultural entrepreneurship opportunity, and encourage more research into the cultural economy at the institutional level

  • Media to provide more visibility to cultural brands and successful cultural entrepreneurship stories

  • Diaspora communities to create new opportunities and possibilities for collaboration and expansion.


How can ecosystem enablers help in the mission?


‘Culture’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ are not yet seen in the same context. There is a significant lack of awareness about the economic opportunity of cultural brands among investors, industry, and government bodies. 


On one hand, NICE-PCP Punjab State Chapter will work with entrepreneurs to build strong cultural brands. 


On the other hand, we also have to work with ecosystem enablers such as Confederation of Indian Industry , TiE Chandigarh Chandigarh Angels Network Punjab Angels Network Innovation Mission Punjab Indian Chamber of International Business and AIC at the Indian School of Business  to engage with the investor and industry community, and spread awareness about cultural entrepreneurship opportunities.


Here's how ecosystem enablers can support the NICE-PCP State Chapter:


  1. Speaking opportunities: Offer the NICE-PCP State Chapter leadership an opportunity to speak about cultural entrepreneurship and the cultural economy at your various industry and investor events in Punjab. 

  2. Connections to experts: Connect us to various subject matter experts so that we can help Member brands of the chapter to upskill and better solve problems in branding, supply chain, finance, distribution, logistics and market access.

  3. Exposure to investors and funding: Partner with us to help match emerging cultural brands with investors and other funding opportunities. Even if investors are not signing a cheque today, they can help by being a part of the cultural entrepreneurs journey, mentoring and nurturing them till they are ready and investable.

  4. Event and program sponsorship: Help us find sponsors and partners for our annual showcase events and our upcoming incubation and accelerator programs.


Next steps: what now?

The mission of the NICE-PCP Punjab State Chapter is to build an enabling system for cultural entrepreneurs in Punjab. Here are 5 ways this Chapter will support cultural brands in Punjab: 

  1. Create a strong community of Punjab-based cultural brands with regular monthly meet-ups for regional networking, collaborations and showcasing events

  2. Offer specialist incubator and accelerator programs for idea, growth and scale stage cultural brands to grow, and become profitable and investor-ready

  3. Connect Punjab-based cultural brands to the 4500 strong NICE Community of cultural brands, advisors, mentors, experts and investors 

  4. Enable cultural entrepreneurs to solve day-to-day problems with expert Masterclasses on government schemes, supply chain management, quality control, exports, design innovation and more

  5. Advocate collectively with government agencies for schemes and funds to help build an ecosystem for cultural brands to thrive in Punjab


Are you a Punjab based cultural brand at any stage- start-up streamline or scale? Do you know of one?

Membership to the NICE-PCP Punjab State Chapter is now open. 



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