ABSTRACT
Many people acknowledge that creativity is emerging as one of the most important sources of economic growth. Hence investing in the creative and cultural industries should entail more than just pumping up Research and Development spending or improving education, though both are important to these industries. Also showing that some South Asian artists may not wish to be pigeonholed as purely ‘South Asian’ and others may wish to engage with South Asian arts because it provides them with a link to their heritage. The value of creative and cultural industries in some developing economies of South Asia is often linked to their ability to: stimulate cultural and social development; and provide an economic tool for growth and development based on the potential to create employment, generate income, earn export revenues and alleviate poverty.
