Est. 2013 — Kolkata, India · Special Consultative Status, UN ECOSOC
Empowering Communities.
Preserving Heritage.
Building Futures.
Kolkata Society for Cultural Heritage works across heritage conservation, sustainable tourism, education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, women empowerment, and community development — creating lasting impact across Eastern India.
Kolkata Society for Cultural Heritage (KSCH) is a social enterprise functioning at the grassroots level for the permanent developmental change of rural, urban, and tribal areas of India. We hold special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2022.
We believe livelihood is the most important component of any sustainable development model — by improving economic conditions in rural and tribal areas, we can address education, health, and sanitation in turn. Our work spans agriculture, eco-friendly livelihoods, renewable energy, water treatment, and the revival of traditional folk art and culture as income-generating mechanisms for rural communities.
Reviving lost folk art forms like Sunderban Patachitra and Bono Bibir Pala, turning intangible cultural heritage into livelihoods for rural artisans.
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Sustainable Tourism
Through "Parijayi," our award-winning eco-cultural tourism initiative, we build homestays and community-led tourism that supports rural artisans.
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Women Empowerment
Self-help groups producing eco-friendly paper plates, weaving Gamcha towels, and crab farming — building direct market linkage and steady income.
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Community Development
Participatory development models that put communities at the center of their own progress.
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Environment & Climate
Over 33.6 lakh mangrove saplings planted across the Sundarbans with the Forest Department, Indian Navy, and WEBEL — strengthening coastal resilience.
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Education
School infrastructure upgrades, free libraries under New Town's subways, and adopted schools providing uninterrupted education to underprivileged children.
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Healthcare
Medical equipment and power backup systems donated to government hospitals, plus relief work that served over 10.5 lakh meals during Amphan, COVID, and YAAS.
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Livelihood Development
Organic agriculture, mushroom cultivation, poultry, and brown rice production training across rural and tribal clusters in West Bengal.
Reviving the long-extinct scroll-painting tradition behind "Bono Bibir Pala," training women near Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary with Sundarban Tiger Reserve to paint on scrolls, pots, fans, and souvenirs as an alternative to forest-dependent livelihoods.
Women Empowerment
Sunderban Paper Plate Production
Eco-friendly paper plate units run by self-help group women in Bally and Jharkhali, scaling from 500 to 4,500 plates a day — eliminating thermocol use locally and even reaching an export order from the Netherlands.
Environment & Climate
The Community Forest — Mangrove Plantation
An end-to-end mangrove restoration model spanning the Sundarbans, Mumbai (with the Indian Navy), and Saltlake — 33.6 lakh saplings planted to date, protecting biodiversity and creating rural livelihoods.
People Behind the Numbers
Stories of Transformation
01
Women Empowerment · Sundarbans
From 500 plates a day to an export order from the Netherlands.
Self-help group women at the Jharkhali paper plate unit started small, replacing thermocol with biodegradable alternatives. A Durga Puja organizer overseas placing an order gave them a renewed sense of self-belief — and a steady, dignified income.
A nearly extinct art form, painted back to life by village women.
Bono Bibir Pala was once sung, but the scroll-painting tradition behind it had disappeared. After four months of training with expert painters from Kolkata, village women now sell Patachitra-painted merchandise to tourists at permanent forest department stalls.
No fans, no computers, no clean water — until now.
Jatragachi Nandanagar Primary School served a hundred children with barely working infrastructure. With CSR support from Merlin Group's "I Am Kolkata," KSCH installed fans, computers, and a water purifier — and continues renovating school toilets in Uttarpara.
Economic Times Now Industry Icons 2025 — Iconic Social Organization of the Year
2025
KSCH was honoured as the "Iconic Social Organization of the Year" by ET Now, recognising its innovative social enterprise model and impact in cultural preservation and community development.
Publication
Annual Report 2024–25
2025
Download our impact report documenting outcomes across all programme areas — from Patachitra revival to cyclone relief and healthcare infrastructure.
Check our latest Annual report about the support for traditional arts and crafts, and environmental projects like the Mangrove Community Forest Movement.
India Post Special Cover & Stamp Release for Chitropot
May 2024
India Post marked KSCH's 11th anniversary with a Patachitra-themed special postal cover and stamp — the first official recognition of the Sundarbans' Patachitra revival by the Indian Postal Service.
CSR Partnerships
Partner With KSCH to Build Sustainable Communities
We design and implement impactful programmes aligned with Sustainable Development Goals and your company's CSR priorities. From project ideation to field execution and impact reporting — we manage the full cycle.