Namaste America

What Namaste America does

Namaste America (legally styled as the Indo-American Association for Art & Culture) is a Mumbai-based non-profit cultural exchange organization founded in January 2011 with the institutional backing of the U.S. Consulate General, Mumbai. The organization's stated mission is to promote understanding of Indian and American arts and culture, and to facilitate bilateral ties in the areas of Art, Education, Sports, Media, Entertainment, Science, and Technology. Its core products are not software or services in the conventional sense but rather recurring in-person programs: cultural exchange events (musical evenings, art exhibitions, dance recitals, food festivals), the Scholars Abroad Program (annual grants to Indian students proceeding to American universities, run jointly with the American Alumni Association), Inaugural Balls co-hosted with the U.S. Consulate for U.S. Presidents (Obama 2013, Trump 2017), welcome receptions for visiting U.S. Consul Generals, and themed art initiatives (including a 2011 tribute to M.F. Husain). There is no proprietary technology platform — operations are administered through a small Secretariat and Managing Committee, with distribution via the namasteamerica.in website and direct outreach to enterprise members.

The business model is a membership-based non-profit. Revenue is generated through recurring membership fees (pricing undisclosed publicly) and corporate sponsorships from named enterprise supporters that span Legal Services (AZB & Partners), Conglomerates (Godrej, Bajaj Group), Healthcare Technology (CitiusTech), Fashion (AZA Fashions), Metals and Engineering (Mukand Ltd.), Industrial Controls (Packam Controls), and Marketing Consulting (Samsika Marketing). Membership benefits include invitations to networking events with U.S. dignitaries, website recognition, exclusive membership certificates, and access to events co-hosted with U.S. delegations. The organization is governed by a President (Atul Nishar, who is also Founder Chairman of Hexaware Technologies) and an Advisory Board of senior Indian business and cultural figures (Habil Khorakiwala of Wockhardt, Niraj Bajaj of Bajaj Group, Vidya Balan, Shiamak Davar, Dr. Indu Shahani, among others). Go-to-market is event-driven, targeting Mumbai-based enterprise members, business leaders, students, the arts community, and the U.S. diplomatic community through marquee events, press coverage in Indian media, and word-of-mouth in elite social circles.

Name

Namaste America

Legal name

Namaste America

Website

https://namasteamerica.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Namaste America is a Mumbai-based non-profit cultural exchange organization that promotes understanding of Indian and American arts and culture through membership-funded events, including inaugural balls, art initiatives, and scholarship programs co-hosted with the U.S. Consulate General.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Exchange Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Protocol, State Visits & Diplomatic Events Management (BPAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Recruitment Events, Fairs & Webinar Platforms (EDAIACAF)

Keywords

• Cultural exchange programs
• Indo-american relations
• Cultural diplomacy events
• Membership association services
• Educational exchange programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Namaste America generates revenue through membership fees. Members receive benefits including invitations to luncheons and cocktail dinners with US dignitaries, website recognition with logo linking to their company website, exclusive membership certificates, access to select events for networking with US delegations, interaction with American business leaders and diplomats, and invitations to interactive sessions with prominent personalities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Namaste America operates a membership-based cultural exchange platform that organizes art exhibitions, music festivals, food festivals, sports events, and Scholars Abroad Programs connecting Indian and American artists, students, business leaders, and diplomats. The organization sells annual memberships granting access to networking events with U.S. dignitaries, recognition on its website, and invitations to exclusive cultural and diplomatic functions. Its programs are delivered through in-person events in Mumbai under the institutional partnership with the U.S. Consulate General.

Product overview

Namaste America (Indo-American Association for Art and Culture) operates as a single-platform cultural organization offering programs in art exhibitions, music and performing arts, education exchange (Scholars Abroad Program), networking events with US dignitaries, sports events, and membership services. The core offering is a platform for cultural exchange between India and the United States, bringing together artists, performers, students, business leaders, and diplomats through various initiatives and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cultural Exchange Programs
• Scholars Abroad Program
• Art Initiative - Tribute to M.F. Husain
• Networking Events with US Dignitaries
• Sports Events
• Namaste America Membership

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• American School of BombaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2013The American School of Bombay partnered with Namaste America and U.S. Consulate for the exhibition softball match and documentary screening event. Students performed jazz ensemble at the launch event and participated in cultural exchanges.
• Mumbai City Baseball AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2013Mumbai City Baseball Association co-hosted the exhibition softball match and outdoor screening of the American documentary 'The Only Real Game' in association with Namaste America and U.S. Consulate.
• Sotheby'sflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2013Sotheby's Head of Sale Priyanka Mathew participated as a panelist in the 'Art as an Investment' discussion at Namaste America's M.F. Husain tribute event.
• Edelweiss Financial ServicesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2013Chairman & CEO Rashesh Shah of Edelweiss Financial Services participated as a panelist in the 'Art as an Investment' discussion and has supported Namaste America events.
• Michigan State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2013Assistant Professor Karin Zitzewitz from Michigan State University participated in the 'Art as an Investment' panel discussion at Namaste America's M.F. Husain tribute event.
• Indo American Society (IAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2013Indo American Society partners with Namaste America and IACC for events like the Interactive Reception honoring U.S. Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. IAS serves as a forum for intellectual and cultural exchange and promotion of friendship between the peoples of India and America.
• Friends of India Group (New Jersey, USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2012The American Delegation of Senior Businesswomen from the Friends of India Group visited Mumbai and partnered with Namaste America for a reception to build linkages between entrepreneurs in the U.S. and India.
• American Alumni Association (AAA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2012American Alumni Association partners with Namaste America to host the Annual Scholars Abroad Program, honoring and presenting grants to deserving students proceeding to American universities.
• Shree Naman GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2011Shree Naman Group collaborated with Namaste America for the Art Initiative tribute to M.F. Husain, providing assistance and support that contributed to the event's grand success.
• Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2011IACC partners with Namaste America for joint events such as welcome receptions for U.S. Consul Generals. The Chamber's objective is to promote Indo-American business, trade, and economic relations, complementing Namaste America's cultural mission.
• U.S. Consulate General, MumbaicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2011The U.S. Consulate General, Mumbai is the primary strategic partner of Namaste America. The Consulate provides institutional support and co-hosts major events including inaugural balls for U.S. Presidents, musical evenings, cultural exhibitions, and the 180th anniversary celebration of U.S. diplomatic presence in Mumbai. This partnership is fundamental to the organization's mission of cultural exchange between India and America.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Asia Society India: Asia Society's India operations run Indo-American cultural, policy, and education programs — a comparable international cultural diplomacy organization, with greater institutional scale and a broader Asia remit.
• TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): TiE is a global Indo-American business network with Mumbai and U.S. chapters; while its primary mission is entrepreneurship rather than cultural exchange, its audience (Indian business leaders in the U.S. and India) overlaps materially with Namaste America's member base.
• Pratham USA: Pratham USA is a large U.S.-based non-profit supporting Indian education — a peer in mission and diaspora-fundraising model, though operating at significantly greater scale.
• American Center, Mumbai (U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Section): The U.S. Consulate's own cultural programming arm in Mumbai is Namaste America's principal partner and a partial substitute — it runs American-spaces programming, English-language education, and cultural events that overlap with Namaste America's mission. Any shift in Consulate strategy directly impacts the demand for Namaste America's services.
• Fulbright Commission (United States-India Educational Foundation): USIEF is the official U.S.–India educational exchange body and a peer/competitor in the Scholars Abroad space, with far greater institutional backing and program scale.

Direct peers

• American India Foundation (AIF): AIF is a large U.S.–India philanthropic organization that runs education and cultural-exchange programs; it is a comparable non-profit mobilizing corporate and diaspora capital for Indo-American soft-power initiatives, though at a much larger scale.
• American Alumni Association (AAA): AAA is Namaste America's direct co-host on the Scholars Abroad Program and a peer in mobilizing the India-to-U.S. alumni community for cultural and educational programming.
• Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC): IACC is Namaste America's most direct peer — both are Indo-American organizations that co-host events with the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai (e.g., 2013 reception for Ambassador Nancy J. Powell) and serve overlapping corporate and diplomatic constituencies. IACC leans business/trade, while Namaste America leans cultural, making them complementary rather than substitutive.
• Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC): IAAC promotes Indian art and culture in the U.S. (New York-based) and is a direct functional peer of Namaste America, though geographically mirrored — both focus on arts, culture, and Indo-American visibility.
• Indo American Society (IAS): IAS is the older Mumbai-based Indo-American friendship organization focused on intellectual and cultural exchange; Namaste America has explicitly co-hosted events with IAS, indicating close operational overlap and a shared member/donor base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Namaste America