‘Private art museums, galleries, auctions have opened up professional opportunities in field of art’

At a session, titled ‘Mapping the sector: Arts and culture in India’, on February 15, Joe Cyril, lead for business development at Saffronart, gave a talk on new and existing professional opportunities in the cultural and creative sector.

4 min readPuneFeb 16, 2020 04:16 AM IST

Joe Cyril

In the last two decades, a great change has come into art auctions in India. It is no longer the exclusive zone of a few who gather in a grand hall or auction house, well-versed in the intricacies of the ‘going-going-gone’ world, and compete for objets d’art and rare antiques. Among those who pushed auctions online, enabling hundreds of people from across the world to bid, was Saffronart. At a session, titled ‘Mapping the sector: Arts and culture in India’, on February 15, Joe Cyril, lead for business development at Saffronart, gave a talk on new and existing professional opportunities in the cultural and creative sector. The event was organised by Arts Culture Resources India with TIFA Working Studios, and British Council, Pune. He talks to Dipanita Nath about how art auctions have grown and changed over the years. Excerpts from an interview:

What is the experience of working in an auction house?

I joined Saffronart after working with the Kochi Biennale Foundation at Kochi, also my hometown. I was lucky to have attended the first Kochi Biennale Foundation fundraiser auction conducted by Saffronart in Mumbai in 2015. I found it to be an exciting experience as it was my first ever auction experience. I have a degree in economics and wanted to be on the business side of the art world. So, I applied to Saffronart. For me, personally, I find working at Saffronart exhilarating. Our calendar is packed with auctions, events, talks and fundraisers, which can be hectic but also challenging. It is a culturally rewarding experience to work at an auction house like Saffronart. We get to work with significant works of Indian art, antiquities, design, books and jewellery, a cross section of India’s cultural identity and history. Beyond the museums, auction houses also gives the public an opportunity to view and acquire a piece of Indian culture, which is otherwise tucked away in private collections.

Talking of private collections, can you tell us about the forthcoming auction of the seized assets of Nirav Modi?

The Spring Live and Online Auctions on February 27 and March 3 to 4 will be conducted on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai. Collectively, the two auctions will feature 15 artworks by significant modern and contemporary Indian artists as well as a selection of luxury watches, handbags and cars. There was a request for tenders (RFT) from the ED to auction houses operating in India. Following this, Saffronart was selected based on its experience and expertise. Previously, Saffronart had conducted a successful auction of seized paintings on behalf of the Income Tax department in March 2019.

Since art auction is a niche sector, what is the nature of work that an aspirant can look forward to, especially during an economic slowdown?

Client relations and sales, design, marketing, art cataloguing and editorial roles exist in most auction houses beyond the administrative roles such as finance, operations and logistics. While some are entry-level roles, others require domain knowledge and experience.

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As auctioning transitioned from offline to online, how did its characteristics change?

While traditional auctions have transitioned from offline to online, Saffronart, launched in 2000, started as an online auction house with the goal of making the art market more accessible in India. Saffronart started conducting live auctions in Mumbai and Delhi in 2013. All auctions conducted by Saffronart, even if it is conducted live or physically, have an online and mobile application plug-in making it possible for a bidder to take part from anywhere around the world. We also offer various features, including detailed condition reports and high resolution images of the artworks, automatic additional taxes and charges calculations, bid history, comparables and proxy bidding, among others, which have made the process of buying art online transparent and easy.

How have professional opportunities opened up, changed or shrunk in the sector over the years?

The art industry has more professional opportunities now with the success of institutions such as India Art Fair in Delhi, Kochi-Muziris Biennale in Kerala and Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa. New private art museums, galleries and auctions have also opened up professional opportunities in the field.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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