INDIA A GLOBAL LEADER. PARTNER IN CREATIVE ECONOMY: UZBEKISTAN'S CULTURE IMPRESARIO

"During my visit to the Chanakya International Center in Mumbai last month, I was amazed by how they have integrated traditional craftsmanship into design and fashion. Uzbekistan can certainly learn from India's experience. We hope to see more collaboration with India at future conferences on creative economy."

- MANISH CHAND

Gayane Umarova is the face of a new Uzbekistan, harnessing creative and culture industries to carve its place under the global sun.

The driving force behind the 4th World Conference on Creative Economy held in Tashkent early October, Ms Umarova, Executive Director, Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, is buzzing with new ideas and initiatives to enhance creative economy collaboration with like-minded countries. In this interview with Manish Chand, Ms Umarova shares her vision of the growth of culture industries in Uzbekistan and hails India as a global leader in creative economy.

Q: How do you view Uzbekistan's emergence as a hub of creative economy? What are prospects for the expansion of the cultural industry in Uzbekistan? A: The 4th World Conference on Creative Economy showed vividly how Uzbekistan is progressing in this field. Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation was established seven years ago, and since then, we have seen the creative economy grow.

Uzbekistan has always had a rich heritage of craftsmanship, but for a long time, it wasn't monetized beyond attracting tourists. We soon realized that we needed new museums, infrastructure, and contemporary art spaces. Additionally, we needed to invest in education and capacity building, which would lead to economic growth by creating employment. We recently launched a new legal framework that allows us to officially recognize the creative industries and work on tax incentives and licensing — crucial steps for the development of this sector.