Indo-American Arts Council

What Indo-American Arts Council does

The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), legally Indo-American Arts Council Inc., is a New York-based nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to promote and present South Asian performing, visual, and literary arts in the United States. The organization operates as an event-driven arts promoter rather than a technology product company, producing an annual portfolio of festivals and programs that includes the Erasing Borders Dance Festival, the Festival of Indian Music, the Literary Festival, and the New York Indian Film Festival, alongside recurring theater, fashion, art exhibition, and music programming. Its core technical footprint is negligible: the organization runs on a WordPress website (iaac.us) with PayPal-integrated donations, and has no disclosed APIs, SDKs, or proprietary technology products.

IAAC monetizes through two primary streams: ticket sales for paid performances and donations/contributions solicited via a dedicated donate page, with literary sessions frequently offered free of charge to broaden audience access. Artists receive honorariums, though the organization publicly acknowledges that its nonprofit funding model caps the level of financial support it can provide. The organization's go-to-market is anchored by deep partnerships with tier-1 New York cultural infrastructure — Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Lincoln Center and its sub-venues (Dizzy's Club, Merkin Hall), the Rubin Museum of Art, CUNY Graduate Center, Hunter College, International House, and the Consulate General of India in New York — which collectively function as its distribution channel and credibility anchor.

The organization is governed by a board chaired by Dr. Nirmal Mattoo and staffed by 1-10 employees, with festival-direction roles distributed across specialist curators for music, dance, and literary verticals. Its primary customer segments are two-sided: individual Indian-arts enthusiasts in the New York diaspora and broader multicultural audiences on the demand side, and Indian classical and contemporary artists seeking U.S. performance platforms on the supply side. Geographic reach is confined to the Northeast USA, with no evidence of programmatic expansion beyond the New York metro.

Name

Indo-American Arts Council

Legal name

Indo-American Arts Council Inc.

Website

https://iaac.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Indo-American Arts Council is a New York-based nonprofit founded in 1997 that presents South Asian performing, visual, and literary arts through annual festivals and programs, serving Indian-diaspora audiences and artists in partnership with Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center venues, and other tier-1 New York cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Festivals

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• South Asian arts festivals
• Indian performing arts
• Cultural arts nonprofit
• Indian classical music
• South Asian dance festival

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from sale of tickets to concerts, dance festivals, theater performances, and literary events.
2. Donations and Contributions: Non-profit organization relies on donor support from individuals and organizations. The website features a dedicated donate page.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) is a nonprofit organization that produces and presents South Asian performing, visual, and literary arts programming in the United States. Its core offerings are annual festivals and curated programs across multiple disciplines, including the Erasing Borders Dance Festival, Festival of Indian Music, Literary Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, Theater Events, Fashion Events, Art Exhibitions, and ongoing Music and Dance Programs. These are delivered at prestigious New York venues in partnership with cultural institutions such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, and the Consulate General of India in New York.

Product overview

Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) is a non-profit organization that supports all artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. The organization operates as an event-based arts promoter rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings are annual festivals and ongoing programs across multiple artistic disciplines: the Erasing Borders Dance Festival, Festival of Indian Music, Literary Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, Theatre Events, Fashion Events, Art Exhibitions, and Music Programs. These are presented at prestigious New York venues including Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, and Lincoln Center in partnership with organizations such as the Consulate General of India in New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Erasing Borders Dance Festival Annual festival of Indian dance showcasing classical and contemporary Indian dance forms including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Mohiniyattam, Odissi, and contemporary works. Features the Dr. Sunil Kothari Honorary Lecture and is presented for dance audiences in New York.
• Festival of Indian Music Annual music festival presenting Indian classical music performances sponsored by IAAC, showcasing the uniqueness of Indian classical music with performances by both legends and young artists at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Symphony Space.
• Literary Festival Annual literary festival featuring book talks, author panels, poetry readings, and industry discussions on adapting books to screen. Features both independent sessions and panel discussions with moderators, presented for literary audiences and the Indian diaspora community.
• New York Indian Film Festival Annual film festival showcasing Indian cinema, presented by IAAC for audiences interested in Indian film culture.
• Theatre Events Theatrical performances including plays, comedies, staged readings, and playwright festivals featuring Indian and South Asian playwrights and performers.
• Fashion Events Fashion-related events and exhibitions showcasing Indian fashion and designers.
• Art Exhibitions Visual art exhibitions including contemporary Indian art, photography exhibitions, and art discussions.
• Music Programs Musical performances including classical, fusion, folk, and innovative forms influenced by Indian arts, presented on an ongoing basis outside the annual Festival of Indian Music.
• Dance Programs Ongoing dance performances and programs including classical Indian dance forms and contemporary works, presented outside the annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival.

Segments2 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.

• Carnegie HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor venue partner for IAAC's Festival of Indian Music. IAAC has presented performances at Carnegie Hall including Amjad Ali Khan and the Refugee Orchestra Project in 2022.
• Symphony SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey venue for IAAC musical performances including A Musical Celebration of Lights and Life with Maestro Amjad Ali Khan in 2018.
• Consulate General of India in New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting IAAC's mission to promote Indian arts in the United States.
• Rubin Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural institution partner for Indian arts programming and performances.
• CUNY Graduate CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing venue access for IAAC events.
• International HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for IAAC Literary Festival 2025, held November 15-16, 2025 at International House, 500 Riverside Drive, New York.
• Kaye Playhouse at Hunter CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Erasing Borders Dance Festival 2026, September 19-20, 2026 at 695 Park Avenue, New York.
• Sundaram Tagore GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery partner for art exhibitions and book launch events.
• Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJazz venue partner for IAAC's East-West musical collaborations.
• Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue for IAAC music events including Mausiqui in 2022.
• Ailey Citigroup TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Erasing Borders Dance Festival 2025, September 20-21, 2025.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rubin Museum of Art: Former Himalayan and South Asian art museum and cultural presenter in NYC, frequently partnering with IAAC for Indian arts programming. Directly comparable mission of presenting South Asian arts to New York audiences.
• Asia Society: Major nonprofit presenting Asian arts, culture, and policy programming across music, dance, film, and visual arts. Direct overlap with IAAC in producing and presenting South Asian performing arts events and festivals.
• 92nd Street Y: NYC cultural institution presenting music, dance, literary, and arts programming to broad audiences. Comparable model of curated festival/event programming supported by donor and ticket revenue.
• Symphony Space: NYC multi-disciplinary performing arts venue presenting music, dance, theater, and literary programming. IAAC is a regular partner; the institutional model of curated arts presentations to NYC audiences is highly comparable.
• Chhandayan: NYC-based nonprofit dedicated to Indian classical music presentation and education. Directly comparable niche focus on Indian music with concert series and educational programming serving the diaspora.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: Largest NYC performing arts campus presenting dance, music, theater, and film festivals. IAAC has presented at Lincoln Center (e.g., NYCity Opera 2004); broadly comparable as a major presenting institution even though IAAC is South Asian-focused.
• Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art: Major federally supported institution presenting Asian visual and performing arts in Washington, DC. Overlaps with IAAC's mission of presenting Indian and South Asian arts, but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Carnegie Hall: Premier NYC concert venue presenting global classical and contemporary music. IAAC's Festival of Indian Music is presented at Carnegie Hall, making it both a venue partner and a broader incumbent in the same curated music presentation space.

Emerging players

• Alchemy at CUNY (Asian American / South Asian cultural programs): South Asian cultural programming often embedded in CUNY-affiliated venues (CUNY Graduate Center is an IAAC venue partner). Comparable academic-cultural presenter model for South Asian arts in NYC.

Regional players

• SOAS University of London (cultural programs): UK-based academic institution with prominent South Asian performing arts programming (e.g., music and dance seasons). Comparable as a presenter/curator of Indian classical and contemporary arts, but serves a European rather than U.S. diaspora audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indo-american-arts-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indo-American Arts Council