The Arts Trust

What The Arts Trust does

The Arts Trust is a Mumbai-based art gallery, curator and auction platform founded in 1990 by Vickram Sethi, operating as a division of Safset Agencies Private Limited. The Trust specializes in Modern and Contemporary Indian art and has produced over 150 exhibitions since inception, featuring works by blue-chip Indian modernists including S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, Krishen Khanna, F.N. Souza, Jehangir Sabavala, N.S. Bendre, Anjolie Ela Menon and Bikash Bhattacharjee. Its primary physical venue is the gallery at the ICIA Building in Kala Ghoda, South Mumbai — an established arts district — with secondary contact addresses in the same precinct.

The Trust's product surface consists of curated exhibitions organized into lot pages (e.g., the S.H. Raza "Sojourn" retrospective spanning 350+ lots across multiple web pages), a digital e-catalogue providing artwork metadata (dimensions, medium, year), and paid exhibition publications such as the Krishen Khanna catalogue priced at INR 19,999. The technical stack is a static content-driven website with no disclosed software platform, mobile app, APIs, integrations, or AI/ML components; product functionality is limited to browsing and contacting sales for lot inquiries.

The business model is event-driven: the Trust generates revenue through auctioning artworks and facilitating transactions between sellers (artists, estates, collectors) and buyers (collectors, connoisseurs), supplemented by catalogue sales. Distribution is through the physical Kala Ghoda gallery and the website's e-catalogue channel, targeting a horizontal collector persona segment. Operations are supported by approximately 10 employees, and the company maintains strategic partnerships with AstaGuru Auction House (auction services), the Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (co-located gallery), and artist-affiliated entities such as Krishen Khanna Art LLP and Namtech Fine Art.

Name

The Arts Trust

Legal name

The Arts Trust (a division of Safset Agencies Private Limited)

Website

https://theartstrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Arts Trust is a Mumbai-based curator, gallerist and auctioneer, founded in 1990 by Vickram Sethi, that hosts exhibitions and auctions of Modern and Contemporary Indian art for art collectors and connoisseurs from its Kala Ghoda gallery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Gallery & Auction Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Art curation
• Art gallery exhibitions
• Indian art auctions
• Contemporary Indian art
• Exhibition catalogues

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Art Auction Services: The Arts Trust generates revenue through auctioning artworks, serving as a platform for buying and selling Indian art. They facilitate transactions between artists/art sellers and collectors/connoisseurs through their curated exhibitions and auction services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Arts Trust curates, exhibits, and auctions Modern and Contemporary Indian art from its Kala Ghoda gallery in Mumbai. Since 1990 it has staged over 150 exhibitions featuring artists such as S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, Krishen Khanna, F.N. Souza, and Anjolie Ela Menon, and publishes accompanying exhibition catalogues in print and digital formats. It also facilitates auction transactions between artists/art sellers and collectors through its exhibition-led platform.

Product overview

The Arts Trust operates as an art gallery and exhibition platform founded in 1990 by Vickram Sethi, specializing in Modern and Contemporary Indian art. The organization offers two primary services: curated art exhibitions featuring works by renowned Indian artists (including S.H. Raza, Krishen Khanna, C.D. Mistry, M.F. Husain, Anjolie Ela Menon, and others) with over 150 exhibitions conducted, and digital e-catalogues that document artwork details for auction purposes. The exhibitions are held at their Kala Ghoda, Mumbai location, while e-catalogues provide online access to artwork information including dimensions, medium, and provenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Curated Art Exhibitions Curated physical exhibitions of Modern and Contemporary Indian art featuring works by renowned artists such as S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, Krishen Khanna, F.N. Souza, Anjolie Ela Menon, C.D. Mistry, and Bikash Bhattacharjee, hosted at the Kala Ghoda gallery in Mumbai and offered to art collectors and connoisseurs for viewing, acquisition, and auction participation.
• Exhibition Catalogues (Print and E-Catalogue) Print and digital exhibition catalogues documenting artwork lots (including dimensions, medium, year, and provenance) for collectors and connoisseurs of Modern and Contemporary Indian art; the Krishen Khanna catalogue is priced at INR 19,999.00.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Safset Agencies Private LimitedcoreOthersSafset Agencies Private Limited is the parent company of The Arts Trust. The Arts Trust is described as a division of Safset Agencies Private Limited, headquartered at FGP Centre, Commercial Union House, 3rd Floor, 9, Wallace Street, Fort, Mumbai.
• AstaGurumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAstaGuru Auction House Private Limited is a key partner in association with The Arts Trust for exhibitions and publications. Contact details shared: Verma Chambers, Homji Street, Fort, Mumbai – 400 001. They are involved in conservation services and restoration as part of the exhibition ecosystem.
• Institute of Contemporary Indian ArtmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICIA (Institute of Contemporary Indian Art) is a gallery partner operating from 22/26 ICIA Building, K. Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai. The Arts Trust gallery is co-located at this facility.
• Krishen Khanna Art LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKrishen Khanna Art LLP is associated with The Arts Trust for specific artist exhibitions and publications, holding copyright for the artist's works in their catalogues.
• Namtech Fine ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamtech Fine Art is a partner in association with The Arts Trust for the Krishen Khanna exhibition and publication, contributing to the exhibition ecosystem.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-arts-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Arts Trust