NDTV Launches Art Awards to recognize Indian creative excellence

NDTV's betting on art. The network announced the Masterstroke Art Awards on Friday at its Indian of the Year event, adding another recognition program to an already crowded awards calendar—but this time focused entirely on Indian art and culture. The awards will recognize artists, institutions, patrons, and practices across India's art landscape. The first edition happens in early February.

Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of NDTV Network, positioned this as a natural progression of the network's cultural coverage. "NDTV has always believed that culture lies at the heart of the idea of India. Long before art entered mainstream public discourse, NDTV engaged with Indian art and artists with seriousness and purpose. The Masterstroke Art Awards carry that legacy forward—creating a platform that recognises artistic excellence and deepens the role of art in our public and cultural life."

Kiran Nadar, KNMA’s founder, has been one of the most visible art patrons in India for years, so her involvement makes sense. She says, "My journey with Indian art has always been about democratising access—bringing art back to the people of India. We have an extraordinarily rich artistic heritage, but it needs to be rediscovered and understood. A mainstream platform like NDTV has the reach and integrity to help people recognise why art matters and to make it part of everyday cultural life."

The democratization angle is interesting because art remains stubbornly inaccessible to most people—galleries are intimidating, auctions are for the wealthy, and cultural institutions still struggle with attendance outside major metros.

NDTV also unveiled the Masterstroke calendar at the event, curated by Rohit Chawla, the network's Creative Director. It pulls from a decade of studio photography of Indian artists. Chawla's take on the awards: "The Masterstroke Art Awards are about recognising the seriousness of artistic practice in India. They are meant to honour not just visibility, but depth—artists and cultural contributors whose work shapes how we see, think, and engage with the world. This is about giving Indian art the stature and continuity it deserves."

The focus on depth over visibility is notable, though how that translates to actual award categories and winners remains to be seen.

Shalini Passi, who's been collecting art for years, pushed back on the idea that Indian art is just a few popular names and styles. She emphasized platforms need to cover everything from contemporary work to indigenous and traditional art forms. Fair point—media coverage of Indian art tends to cluster around a handful of big names and auction records.

Kalyani Chawla talked about getting younger people interested in art. Her argument: media can make art feel like something families and first-time viewers should actually engage with, rather than something that requires expertise or money to appreciate.

Dilip Cherian brought up soft power. As India tries to expand its global influence beyond economics and tech, culture becomes a bigger part of that story. Media platforms have a role in pushing Indian creativity as part of the country's international identity—though that's been more talk than action for years.

The timing's curious. Art's having a moment in India—auction records, new galleries, more collectors—but it's still largely elite-driven. Can a TV network and awards program actually bridge that gap? Or does this just formalize what's already happening within existing circles?

NDTV's clearly betting there's commercial and cultural value in sustained art coverage. They've done cultural programming before, so this isn't coming from nowhere. But awards are easy to launch. Building something that changes how regular people think about and interact with art? That's harder.

February will show what the actual awards look like—categories, jury, winners. For now, it's an announcement with big ambitions and familiar challenges about access, relevance, and whether mainstream platforms can genuinely expand who engages with art in India.