(January 15, 2026) When Sanjoy Roy founded Teamwork Arts in 1989, the language of global cultural influence had yet to enter common vocabulary. Yet, decades before cultural diplomacy became policy language and festivals became international brands, Roy was already carrying Indian stories across borders through theatre, literature, ideas, and human connection.
From producing plays that has toured continents to shaping the Jaipur Literature Festival into the world’s largest free literary gathering, Roy’s work as its producer has profoundly positioned India as a global cultural interlocutor. That vision continues with the 19th edition of the festival, scheduled for January 15–19, 2026, in Jaipur, bringing together global literary figures alongside conversations on Indian languages and wide-ranging cultural celebrations.
Today, as Teamwork Arts operates across 17 countries and curates over 25 highly acclaimed performing arts, visual arts, and literary festivals in 40 global cities, Roy’s journey reflects how culture has become India’s most enduring soft — or, as he prefers, smart — power.
Culture as a way of life
For Roy, culture was never a sector or an industry. When he began Teamwork, it was instinctive rather than strategic. “Culture to me was an essential part of life,” he tells Global Indian. “It was about creating spaces where ideas, stories, and emotions could meet audiences in ways that felt intimate yet expansive.” There were no metrics then, no talk of markets — only a belief in resonance. Over time, as India itself transformed, Roy’s understanding of culture deepened. He began to see it not only as artistic expression, but as a connective force that bridges communities and mirrors social change. “Culture is both mirror and lamp,” he says. “It shows us who we are and illuminates possibilities for who we can become.”
Shaping a global institution
The growth of Teamwork Arts, he says, was driven less by strategy and more by curiosity and courage. What began as a production company gradually evolved into a cultural institution with an international footprint. Roy is quick to point out that the journey was anything but linear. There was no master plan to scale globally. Instead, it unfolded through dialogue with artists, audiences, and communities. “Key moments were often collaborations that pushed boundaries,” he recalls with international co-productions, festivals in unexpected geographies, and partnerships that demanded new ways of thinking.
“We kept asking, ‘What happens if we bring this story, this idea, this experience to a wider world?’” That openness to experimentation, anchored by a commitment to quality and authenticity, allowed Teamwork to span literature, theatre, visual arts, film, television, and the social sector without losing its soul.
Jaipur Literature Festival: An unlikely phenomenon
Perhaps no initiative better captures Roy’s philosophy than the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) which in 2025 had a reported footfall of around 300,000 visitors. The 2026 edition has over 300 events spread across five days. What began as a modest idea has become the world’s largest free literary festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees and some of the most influential voices of our time.
The original impulse, Roy insists, was disarmingly simple. “We wanted to create a space where ideas could travel freely, where literature was not just for the elite but for anyone who loved stories.” Jaipur, with its courtyards, history, and openness, felt like the perfect host city. Global resonance was never the goal. “Our ambition was local first, rooted in community,” he says. That the festival went on to capture international imagination was a surprise and a lesson. “When something is authentic and accessible, it speaks universally,” he remarks.
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Rooted locally, speaking globally
As producer of JLF and its many international editions, Roy has mastered the delicate art of balance by remaining locally grounded while addressing global audiences. His approach begins with listening. “Every locale has its own rhythms, histories, and audiences,” he explains, and these shape programming and curation.
At the same time, certain ideas like identity, democracy, climate, creativity transcend borders. “Our task is to create a dialogue between the local and the global,” he says, allowing local voices to shine while connecting them to larger conversations. It is this sensitivity that has enabled Teamwork’s international festivals from India by the Nile in Egypt to India by the Bosphorus in Turkey and Eye on India in the United States to function as acts of cultural diplomacy.
India’s cultural smart power
Roy prefers the term smart power to soft power, and his reasoning is clear. “India’s cultural smart power is extraordinary,” he says, rooted in diversity, tradition, built heritage, and both classical and contemporary forms. It travels effortlessly through music, food, stories, philosophy, often arriving long before diplomats do. “These festivals show that culture can open doors that politics cannot,” Roy observes.
What resonates globally is not just what India produces, but the emotions and human connections embedded in its cultural expression. “That is soft power — genuine, persistent, and deeply resonant.” Yet, he notes, India is often misunderstood. While global audiences are drawn to its plurality and emotional richness, they sometimes struggle to grasp the simultaneity of tradition and modernity. “The real India exists in the interplay,” Roy says, “in the coexistence of ritual and innovation.”
The irreplaceable power of culture
Despite working across multiple media, theatre remains Roy’s first and lasting love. With over 50 productions touring internationally, he believes theatre offers something no other medium can. “Theatre is immediacy incarnate,” he says. “It’s live, ephemeral, and relational.” Each performance is co-created by actors and audiences in real time — a shared human moment that cannot be replicated digitally.
“Theatre teaches empathy, presence, and listening,” Roy reflects. “It’s a rehearsal for life itself.” His productions like Guide to Bollywood Love Story – A Musical, draw from both literary classics and popular imagination. The guiding principle, he says, is universality rooted in specificity. “Will this story open a window into life? Can it touch hearts across borders?” Roy’s cultural practice has always extended beyond stages and festival venues.
Turning inwards
Roy’s memoir, There Is a Ghost in My Room, offers a rare inward turn. Written during the pandemic, it reflects a period of introspection after years of outward focus. “Writing the memoir was an attempt to understand the formative experiences, doubts, joys, and fears that shaped me,” he shares. It allowed him to reconcile the personal with the professional, and to situate his own journey within the larger arc of India’s cultural evolution.
Asked about moments that shaped him most profoundly, Roy points to experiences rather than milestones: a production resonating across continents, a street child finding expression through art, a festival bringing together opposing voices. “These moments reaffirm that creativity, courage, and compassion are inseparable,” he says.
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What keeps him inspired after decades of building at scale? “Curiosity,” Roy replies simply. “The world is endlessly rich in stories, sounds, and perspectives.” And how would he like to be remembered? Roy pauses before answering. He hopes his work will be seen as an effort to expand possibility, and to build bridges rather than boundaries. “If even a small part of my work has helped others feel more curious, empathetic, and connected,” he says, “that would be the deepest honour.”
From creativity to commitment
As founder trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust and Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, he has long believed that culture must engage with society’s most urgent realities. “Culture without engagement risks being self-contained,” he says. For Roy, social work and creative practice are inseparable as he believes that both aim to expand empathy and possibility. He has long been committed to supporting street and working children in Delhi’s inner city, with more than 55,000 young lives reached through education, training, and residential care. Through theatre workshops, storytelling, and creative engagement, marginalised children reclaim identity, agency, and hope. “Culture is never abstract,” he insists. “It’s a practical instrument for empathy, transformation, and social cohesion.”
His engagement with culture also extends into policy and advocacy. He serves as co-chair of the Art and Culture Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and is President of the Event and Entertainment Management Association.
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