MILAP

What MILAP does

MILAP is a UK registered charity (No. 1024761) founded in 1985 in Liverpool, dedicated to presenting and promoting Indian classical arts and culture. The organisation operates as both a presenter and producer of live performance, running a 25+ year monthly concert series (Music for the Mind & Soul), the biennial INDIKA festival (one of Europe's largest Indian arts festivals, 22 events across 9 venues in 2023 and 15 days in 2025), and year-round classes through its Arts School. It serves general arts audiences, young musicians and dancers (ages 12+), and arts education seekers, with a secondary audience of cultural tourists in the North West of England.

Core products include the MilapSpace online learning platform (courses, webinars, mentorship), the Instruments India educational resource covering 25+ Indian instruments, and three national ensembles (SAMYO youth orchestra, TARANG contemporary collective, SABRANG national choir) that serve as talent development pipelines. The recorded content library includes albums such as Great British Gharana (2015) and Undone (2017). The organisation's technology is primarily a content publishing and ticketing layer rather than a software platform.

The business model blends transactional revenue (ticket sales at £6–13 adult, merchandise at £1–£35), donations, and institutional grant funding from Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council. Distribution relies on venue partnerships (Liverpool Philharmonic, Tung Auditorium, Unity Theatre, Future Yard), direct ticket sales via the website and Eventbrite, and global reach through MilapSpace. The leadership team is led by Artistic Director and CEO Alok Nayak, with a staff of approximately 38 supporting operations across Liverpool, Manchester, and London.

Name

MILAP

Legal name

MILAP

Website

https://milap.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MILAP is a UK registered charity founded in 1985 in Liverpool that presents and promotes Indian classical arts through live concerts, the biennial INDIKA festival, education programs, and the MilapSpace online learning platform, serving arts audiences, young musicians, and cultural communities across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts & Cultural Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Exam Prep & Certification (ABRSM, Trinity, RCM, AP Music Theory) (EDAMANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Indian classical arts
• Cultural festival programming
• Music education services
• Youth music ensembles
• Performing arts events

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from concerts, festival events, and performances across various venues in Liverpool and beyond
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from supporters, with a dedicated donate page on their website
3. Merchandise and CD Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including stickers, pins, clothing, mugs, bags, water bottles, and self-produced CDs from MILAP ensembles (Tarang, SAMYO, Prabhat Rao, Rekesh Chauhan)
4. Government and Trust Funding: Core funding from Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council as registered charity

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MILAP is a UK registered charity that presents and produces Indian classical music, dance, and cultural events through live concerts, the biennial INDIKA festival, and a monthly concert series. It delivers year-round arts education through the Arts School, the MilapSpace online learning platform, and the Instruments India resource, and develops young talent via three national youth ensembles (SAMYO, TARANG, SABRANG).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• INDIKA: A bi-annual festival of Indian arts and culture based in the Liverpool City Region, featuring music, dance, workshops, and family activities.
• SAMYO
• TARANG
• SABRANG
• Arts School
• MilapSpace
• Music for the Mind & Soul

Products and services

• INDIKA Festival Biennial festival of Indian classical arts presented in Liverpool, featuring music and dance performances, talks, workshops, films, and family activities for UK audiences and cultural tourists.
• MilapSpace Online Learning Platform Online learning platform offering global access to Indian arts courses, webinars, and mentorship for students worldwide, from beginners to advanced learners.
• Arts School Year-round in-person classes and workshops in Indian music and dance taught by qualified teachers, supporting Arts Award studies for students and learners of all levels.
• Instruments India Educational Resource Comprehensive online educational resource of sounds, images, and video exploring over 25 Indian musical instruments (Violin, Bansuri, Sitar, Tabla, Veena, Sarod, Santoor, Mridangam, and more), with performer profiles and musical tradition information.
• SAMYO Youth Orchestra The UK's National Youth Orchestra for Indian Music, providing training, performance opportunities, and a career pathway for young musicians aged 12 and above.
• TARANG Ensemble Innovative Indian music collective of young aspiring and semi-professional musicians developing contemporary Indian music, providing performance opportunities and talent development.
• SABRANG Youth Choir National Choir for Indian music providing performance opportunities and development for singers in the UK's Indian classical vocal tradition.
• Music for the Mind & Soul Concert Series Monthly concert series featuring Indian classical music artists, running for over 25 years at venues including Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room.
• Great British Gharana Album 2015 album release by SAMYO and TARANG National Ensembles featuring original productions from showcase performances and tours, plus previously unpublished tracks.
• Beyond Roots Album 2015 album release featuring Rekesh Chauhan on piano and Kousic Sen on tabla, exploring contemporary Indian classical music.
• KHYAL: Bhairav, Multani & Bhoopali Album 2016 album debut by Prabhat Rao, a Hindustani Classical Vocalist of Britain specialising in the Khayal style.
• Undone Album by TARANG 2017 album release by TARANG, taking Indian music into a new direction by stretching boundaries of innovation with a contemporary identity.
• MILAP Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise for supporters and audiences, including stickers, pins, bookmarks, keychains, mints, t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, tumblers, and bottles, sold via direct enquiry to MILAP.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ years of monthly concert series
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Apsaras Arts (Singapore)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Apsaras Arts from Singapore for 'Sita's Magical Forest' production at INDIKA 2023, featuring talented dancers from across the UK.
• The Reader (Calderstones Park)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Shared Reading events and Diwali at the Storybarn during INDIKA Festival, bringing Indian literature and storytelling to audiences.
• BundobustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiwali Party celebrations at Bundobust venues in both Liverpool and Manchester, combining Indian food and culture experiences.
• The Tung AuditoriumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for INDIKA festival and regular concert performances including SAMYO and Tarang showcases.
• Liverpool Philharmonic HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for concerts at the Music Room and Philharmonic Hall, including the Music for the Mind & Soul series.
• Unity TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for dance performances including 'Sita's Magical Forest' and various INDIKA events.
• 92 DegreesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Liverpool coffee shop and roastery for photography exhibitions and DJ sessions during INDIKA Festival.
• MellowtoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration for music events including TAPI Project performance at INDIKA Festival.
• MovemaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint presentation of Mohiniattam Workshop for Dancers by Upahaar Dance Company at Unity Theatre.
• Future YardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for Shez Raja & Guthrie Govan performance and other contemporary Indian music events in Birkenhead.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Liverpool Philharmonic: Major Liverpool-based classical music presenter and orchestra with similar venue-partnership dynamic and regional audience base. Shares MILAP's Music for the Mind & Soul concert venue and overlapping programming scope.
• Tata Sky/Disney Soundboxes (Saptak/Akademie): Indian-based music education and festival institutions (e.g., Saptak School of Music) with missions centered on Indian classical music preservation and education. Comparable as direct-domain peers for MILAP's educational mission, though based in India rather than the UK.

Broad incumbents

• Sage Gateshead: Large North England music venue and arts presenter with a broad programming remit. Comparable in mission (music presentation and education) and regional Northern England footprint, though at significantly larger scale.
• Britten Pears Arts: UK arts and education charity based in Suffolk combining concert programming, festivals, and a youth arts programme. Comparable in combining performance, talent development, and education missions with a similar UK charity structure.
• Southbank Centre: UK's largest arts centre presenting music, dance, and literature across multiple venues. Comparable as a major UK arts presenter with festival programming and education activities, though operating at far greater scale and broader remit.
• Royal Academy of Music: London conservatoire offering music education, public concerts, and community engagement. Comparable in combining professional music training, public performance, and educational outreach, though operating in Western classical tradition at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Wigmore Hall: London concert venue specializing in chamber and classical music with associated learning programme. Comparable as a classical music presenter with strong educational outreach and ticketed concert series.
• Darbar Arts: UK-based charity dedicated to promoting Indian classical music and culture through concerts, festivals, and education. Directly comparable to MILAP in mission, geography, and programming focus, though based in London rather than Liverpool.
• Kala The Arts: UK-based organization presenting Indian dance and music. Comparable as a UK-focused South Asian arts presenter with similar mission and audience overlap.

Emerging players

• Sing Live UK: UK-based vocal and choral development organization operating choirs and learning programmes. Comparable in combining ensemble development, performance, and learning offerings for amateur and developing musicians.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@milap
• Facebookfacebook.com/milapfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milap
• Instagraminstagram.com/milapfest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 MILAP