New Delhi : THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship has welcomed its inaugural cohort, marking the beginning of a nine-month leadership development programme designed to nurture a new generation of cultural leaders across South Asia. Delivered by Serendipity Arts and supported by the French Embassy in India, the fellowship brings together 17 fellows selected from over 100 applicants nationwide for its first residential programme held in Goa.
The fellowship convenes professionals working across heritage, museums, publishing, education, design, archives, public policy, philanthropy, cultural entrepreneurship and the creative industries, creating a cross-disciplinary platform for dialogue, collaboration and leadership development. Unlike traditional leadership programmes focused primarily on institutional management, THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship encourages participants to examine the broader role of culture in shaping communities, institutions and public life through reflection, inquiry and shared learning.
The six-day residential marked the first phase of the programme, Self & Context, where fellows explored themes including identity, ethics, leadership, belonging, decision-making and cultural practice through workshops, peer-learning sessions and conversations with leading voices from culture, education, business and civil society. The programme featured sessions facilitated by QYON (Question Your Own Notions), strengths-based leadership coaching through CliftonStrengths, and conversations with distinguished speakers including Urvashi Butalia, Maya Rao, Dr Mukund Rajan, Ruchira Das, Asif Ali Beg and traditional artist Chetan Gangavane.
Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder & Patron of Serendipity Arts and Chairman of THE BRIJ, said:
“The cultural future will be shaped not only by artists and institutions, but by the quality of leadership that sustains them. Across the country, there are remarkable individuals working at the intersection of culture, communities, education, heritage, public life and enterprise, yet there are very few spaces that allow them to pause, reflect and grow together. THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship was conceived to address that need for India and for the world.
What I truly admire about this inaugural cohort is the diversity of experiences they bring into the room and their willingness to engage with difficult questions about responsibility, purpose and impact. We see this fellowship as a long-term investment in people who will shape the future of the cultural ecosystem—not simply through the institutions they build, but through the values and ideas they carry forward.”
The inaugural cohort comprises Abu Sufiyan Khan, Anshul Gandhi, Anuj Mahotra, Chhavi Jain, Dipti Rao, Kush Dhebar, Lekha Naidu, Maharshee Dev Mahanta, Dr Pallavi Narayan, Pooja Yadav, Prachi Dalal, Rajatri Biswas, Ritik Rawat, Rubina Singh, Shanmukha Priya Mohan, Umang Sinha and Vidushi Bhatia. Together, they represent a diverse cross-section of practitioners working across cultural heritage, archives, museums, performing arts, publishing, education, community engagement, public policy, philanthropy, arts management and cultural entrepreneurship.
Grégor Trumel, Counsellor for Cooperation and Culture, Embassy of France in India and Director, French Institute in India, said:
“France is proud to support THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship as part of our shared commitment to strengthening the cultural and creative sectors and investing in the people who will lead them into the future. At a time when cultural ecosystems around the world are undergoing profound transformation, there is an urgent need for leaders who can navigate complexity, foster collaboration and inspire new forms of cultural participation.
Through this programme, we are delighted to contribute to the emergence of a new generation of Cultural Passeurs who will connect people, ideas and institutions across borders, while strengthening the long-term cultural dialogue between France and India.”
Following the Goa residential, fellows will continue their journey through expert-led conversations, peer inquiry circles, strengths-based coaching, individual mentoring and ecosystem engagements. The programme will progress through two subsequent phases: Ecosystem & Region and Leadership & Futures, culminating in a Research Inquiry Proposal that enables each fellow to develop and articulate a central question rooted in their own leadership practice and its implications for the future of the cultural sector.
Designed around inquiry rather than immediate solutions, THE BRIJ Cultural Leaders Fellowship seeks to foster thoughtful, collaborative and values-driven leadership capable of strengthening cultural institutions, shaping public life and building a more resilient cultural ecosystem for the future.