Evolving a Sustainable Collaborative Mechanism for Management of Built Heritage of India: The Case of ‘Adopt a Heritage Project’

Thousands of years of India’s built heritage have been shaped by great kings, emperors, dynasties, and cultures. As of 24th July, 2022 there are 3696 ‘ancient monuments’ under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and many more such monuments are under the protection of state governments. It’s obvious that managing such a diverse and rich heritage of India is a herculean task for an organisation the size of ASI. On the occasion of World Tourism Day, i.e., 27th September, 2017, the Honourable President of India launched the project “Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan”. For the first time in independent India, private entities are being invited for the maintenance of archaeological monuments and sites. This initiative by the Government of India (GoI) has unsettled conscience of many Indian archaeologists. The Adopt a Heritage project envisages “handing over of development/construction/up-gradation of facilities and amenities along with their complete operation and maintenance for the heritage sites/monuments/ tourist sites etc. to private and public sector companies/ trusts/ individuals/ NGOs etc. who would be known as ‘Monument Mitras’ for their initiative”. Using a grounded theory approach, the current research seeks to arrive at a sustainable cooperative mechanism by identifying the conflicting interests of the stakeholders involved in managing India's built heritage.