Hyundai Motor India Foundation Announces INR 60 Lakh Grant to 50 Artists Driving Social Change through Art
Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the CSR arm of Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), today announced the 50 grantees of its ‘Art for hope - Season 5’ program, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing India’s diverse artistic landscape. This year’s selection highlights regional richness, inclusivity and innovation, with artists showcasing art forms from 22 regions.
Season 5 of this program received applications from 30 regions across the country (states + union territories), spanning urban cities to remote villages and tribal regions. Strong emphasis was placed on projects that reflect community engagement, underrepresented voices and grassroots collectives.
Sharing his thoughts, Mr. Puneet Anand, AVP & Vertical Head - Corporate Affairs, Corporate Communication & Social, HMIL, said, “Through Art for hope - Season 5, Hyundai Motor India Foundation reaffirms its commitment to empowering artists whose work sparks dialogue, inclusion and social awareness. This edition celebrates India’s diverse creative spectrum - rural collectives, tribal storytellers, urban innovators and digital creators. By supporting top 50 projects, HMIF nurtures voices that preserve heritage, illuminate untold narratives and inspire transformative change. The initiative stands as a platform where creativity meets purpose, and art becomes a conduit for empathy, equity and progress.”
The ‘Art for hope - Season 5’ grantees were selected after a detailed deliberation process by an esteemed jury comprising Pandit Sajan Mishra - Padma Bhushan awardee and legendary Hindustani classical vocalist, Mr. Aaquib Wani - celebrated experiential designer, Ms. Garima Avtar - award winning content creator (automobile, luxury, and lifestyle), Mr. Nikhil Chawla - senior journalist specializing in technology, lifestyle and automotive, and Mr. Aditya Arya – Founding Trustee & Director, Museo Camera - centre for photographic arts. Each proposal was evaluated on artistic merit, originality, innovation and social impact.
As part of the program, grantees will also receive mentorship, upskilling workshops and opportunities for regional showcases. The ‘Art for hope - Season 5’ journey will culminate in a grand public showcase around February 2026 at New Delhi, bringing together art, dialogue and community, in celebration of creativity and social impact.
List of individual grant winners - grant amount INR 1,00,000:
S. No. | Name | City | State | Title |
1 | Abishi Sarkar | Paschim Bardhaman | West Bengal | Remembering Hat Pakha |
2 | Bholla Manas | Hyderabad | Telangana | Guardians of the Flyways: A Terracotta Archive |
3 | Dr Asha Kumari | Nuh | Haryana | Reviving Bitoda Art ‚ A Rural Art Form of Haryana |
4 | Prabha Singh | Ghaziabad | Uttar Pradesh | Batik Painting |
5 | Prabhat Jyoti Gowala | Golaghat | Assam | The Me You See |
6 | Vankar Chetan Hirji | Ahmedabad | Gujarat | Weaving Futures: Sustaining Bhujodi Craft Through Innovation & Heritage |
7 | Ajay Kumar Garg* | Jaipur | Rajasthan | Preserving Heritage and Empowering the Deaf through Miniature Art |
8 | Akash Srivastava | Delhi | Delhi | What Remains After the Noise |
9 | Anupama Dey | Hooghly | West Bengal | Performing Disappearance: Archiving Indian Circus Culture through Craft |
10 | Ashwin Babu | Raigad | Maharashtra | Education Without Access |
11 | Biplab Sarkar | Jalpaiguri | West Bengal | Street Markets in the Digital Age |
12 | D Anthoni Guruz | Puducherry | Puducherry | Moving Margins, Uncovering Utopias |
13 | Deepak Kumar Behera | Baleshwar | Odisha | Roots & Reflections: Sculpting the Past into the Present |
14 | G Rahul | Delhi | Delhi | Bandwalla - Left Behind: Fading Rhythms in a Changing City |
15 | Manoj Kumar Pannala | Warangal | Telangana | Under the Same Sun |
16 | Milan Ashvinbhai Lunagariya | Vadodara | Gujarat | Roots of the Land |
17 | Nayanjyoti Barman | Bengaluru | Karnataka | A Nest Once Here |
18 | Pratham Kaushik | Birbhum | West Bengal | Terrains of Memory |
19 | Ritika Anand | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | Hands of Imagination |
20 | Satish Moladiya | Vadodara | Gujarat | Sarovar |
21 | Subhash Deka | Barpeta | Assam | Echoes Through the Golden Door: A Sound in a Space to Tribute my Ancestors |
22 | Surajit Mudi | Birbhum | West Bengal | Image as Encounter |
23 | Umesh Kumar | Delhi | Delhi | Chehek (A Tale of Disappearing Sparrows) |
24 | Yash H Desai | Vadodara | Gujarat | An Unknown Land (ongoing 2019) |
25 | Akanksha Kamble* | Thane | Maharashtra | Empathy Map: d/D |
26 | Aleena Khan | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | Chaand (Shades of Life) |
27 | Amit Nadig | Bengaluru | Karnataka | The Deutsch Bharatiya Big Band |
28 | Ramesh Chander | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | Water Pollution |
29 | Sonu Gupta* | Rohtas | Bihar | Colors of Courage |
30 | Nilisha Phad | Mumbai | Maharashtra | Evolving Identities of Urban India Visual Narratives of Memory, Emotion and Change |
31 | Ravice Rashid | Srinagar | Jammu & Kashmir | Recreating Shikargah Pather with Young Bhands of Kashmir |
32 | Darshan Manjare | Kolhapur | Maharashtra | Colour of the Earth |
33 | Hiralkumar Arunbhai Chaudhuri | Vadodara | Gujarat | Threads of Transition |
34 | Ninkkhan Keishing | Manipur | Manipur | Pau-rou (Watonna Wanglaga Kwakna Phamteke) |
35 | Kavindra Bam | Dharamshala | Himachal Pradesh | Future Forms - Blending Tradition with Tomorrow |
36 | Nawas Ali | Chikmanglur | Karnataka | Kolkali and Kalari: Resilience Through Rhythms |
37 | Abhay Pratap Singh | Raigarh | Chhattisgarh | Mic is a Speaker in Reverse |
38 | Nyamem Jini | West Siang | Arunachal Pradesh | Tapestry of Existence ll |
39 | Sarath Kumar S | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | Roots Beneath Concrete |
40 | Harish Lal Arya | Champawat | Uttarakhand | Childhood in Transition: A Dialogue Between Playgrounds and Screens |
List of institutional grant winners - grant amount INR 2,00,000:
41 | Rasa India | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | Ekam - One Essence, Many Expressions |
42 | SHEDO: Social Health & Education Development Organisation | Harda | Madhya Pradesh | Music Instrument Library: A Space for Musical Harmony, Learning, and Access |
43 | Cloket Fashion Technologies Pvt Ltd (Ashadeep Baruah) | Kamrup Metro | Assam | The Upcycling Project |
44 | The Glassmakers Club | Delhi | Delhi | Transcendence: From Windshield to Wonder |
45 | Jagori Foundation Charitable Trust (Sayali Birmole*) | Thane | Maharashtra | Eco-Friendly Shadu Clay & Mask-Making Workshop for Children with Disabilities in Thane District |
46 | Kaivalya Plays (Gaurav Singh) | Delhi | Delhi | AI for Storytelling: Empowering Young Artists through Techno-Pragmatic Practices |
47 | Akaar Welfare Society (Maitraiyee Kuhu) | Patna | Bihar | Bagheli Raga |
48 | Project Vyom (Vipul) | Delhi | Delhi | Theatre Without Walls |
49 | Dastakar | Delhi | Delhi | From Village Walls to Urban Interiors - Madhubani Reimagined |
50 | Global Music Institute | Gautam Buddha Nagar | Uttar Pradesh | It’s Time to Talk: Mental Health in the Indian Independent Music Industry |