About Myself

I am a freelance writer and a development sector professional, working in the area of culture and sustainable development, for more than two decades, with NGOs, UNESCO, and corporates. Currently, I work as an independent consultant with a focus on research, strategy, policy and planning.

I have a PhD from the School of Media and Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and an MA degree in Sustainable Development from Staffordshire University, UK under a Commonwealth Scholarship. Earlier, I had completed my MA in Sociology from the University of Calcutta.

I have diverse publications including a book, book chapters, journal papers, and media articles.

Books and Book Chapters

Dutta, M. (2024). Creative Economy and Sustainable Development: The Context of Indian Handicrafts. Routledge.

Dutta, M (2024). Complexities of Applying Certifications in the Indian Handicraft Industry. In The Routledge Handbook of Craft and Sustainability in India. Routledge.

Dutta, M. (2021). Theatre for community education, capacity building and research. In Many voices, many worlds: Critical perspectives on community media in India, 207-227, SAGE.

Journal Articles

Dutta, M. (2025) Communities as Stewards of Cultural Heritage Published by INTACH Journal of Heritage Studies, Volume 6, Issue 1.

Dutta, M. (2025) Principles of Sustainability within the Traditional Creative Industries of India. Published by Culture 360 Asia Europe Foundation.

Dutta, M. (2023) Festivals – A Powerful Vehicle of Cultural Diplomacy. Published by Culture 360 Asia Europe Foundation.

Dutta, M. (2022) The Intersection of Art, Life and Nature in Indigenous Cultures. Published by Culture 360 Asia Europe Foundation.

Bhattacharya, A., & Dutta, M. (2022). Empowering Heritage Entrepreneurs: An Experience in Strategic Marketing. In Journal of Heritage Management, 7(2), 186-199.

Dutta, M. (2022) Indigenous Culture. In ‘Yojana’ Journal, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India; pp 55-58.

Bhattacharya A., Dutta M. and Waelde C. (2021) Designing Heritage-Sensitive IP and Marketing Strategies for ICH-Based Creative Economy. In Journal of Culture. Society. Economy. Politics, Vol.1 (Issue 2), pp. 72-87.

Dutta, M. (2021) Community Museums: Revitalizing Folk Cultures of Rural Bengal. Published by Culture 360 Asia Europe Foundation.

Dutta, M. (2015). Women’s Empowerment through Social Theatre: A Case Study. In Journal of Creative Communications 10.1:56-70.

Media Articles

How One Woman Used the Art of Turning Rags to Quilts to Empower 600 Others in The Better India (May, 2020).

Reclaiming Arts, Breaking Barriers: Lutfa and Mousumi’s Journey towards Change in Youth Ki Awaaz (July 2021).

Painting their Destiny in The Pioneer (July 2021).

Discovering the cultural wealth of rural West Bengal in The Indian Express (March 2020).

Arena for Action in The Indian Express (July 2019).

Book Review of Iffat Nawaz’s Shurjo’s Clan in The Indian Express (March 2023)

A Time to Paws in The Indian Express (April 2017).

The Story of Yesterday in The Indian Express (August 2016