Archive · 29 Jun 2025
Analyst: India Lacks Profits From Its Cultural Exports
Imagine India has created cool stuff like yoga and turmeric remedies, which people all over the world love.
But, others are making the money from it.
It's like India made the toys, but other countries run the toy stores.
A financial analyst named Hardik Joshi is asking why India isn't protecting and profiting from its own creations.
He points out that India was slow to protect its ideas and traditions with things like patents.
Now, India is trying to catch up and protect its heritage, so it can also benefit from the global success of its culture.
Analyst Hardik Joshi says India's cultural exports are globally successful, but the profits mostly go to foreign entities.
Joshi highlights yoga retreats in Bali, turmeric lattes in Los Angeles, and Ayurvedic skincare as examples of this trend.
He attributes this to India's reluctance to commercialize tradition and its slow development of intellectual property infrastructure.
India's patent law previously excluded traditional knowledge, making it vulnerable to foreign entities profiting off its heritage.
Joshi suggests India needs to address the issue to retain its identity, value, and respect for its cultural exports.
- Who
- Hardik Joshi, a financial analyst, and India.
- What
- India's cultural exports, such as yoga and Ayurveda, are successful globally, but the profits are primarily going to foreign entities.
- When
- Not explicitly mentioned, but the issue is presented as ongoing.
- Where
- Global, with specific examples in Bali and Los Angeles.
- Why
- India has struggled to protect and profit from its cultural exports due to a lack of commercialization and intellectual property infrastructure.
India's Perspective
Foreign Perspective
Profits and Ownership
India's Perspective
India created the cultural heritage, but it does not benefit from the profits.
Foreign Perspective
Foreign entities own the business, trademarks and brand recognition of the exports.
- Analyst
- Hardik Joshi
- Cultural Exports
- Yoga, Ayurveda, turmeric, cotton
- Examples
- Yoga retreats in Bali, turmeric lattes in Los Angeles, Ayurvedic skincare
- Main issue
- India's lack of protection, branding, and profit from its own creations
- Patent Law Issue
- Section 3p of India's patent law excluded traditional knowledge