Where do the lines blur? Exploring the separation between non-profit and for-profit theatre organisations in India

Research suggests that non-profit organisations are increasingly adopting business-like characteristics, driven by stakeholder demands and concerns for survival. The distinction between for-profit and non-profit sectors is also becoming blurred. We research these phenomena in the Indian performing arts sector through a qualitative comparative study of nine theatre organisations, based on Dart's (2004) inductive themes of goals, service delivery and management. While our findings suggest that the lines separating the for-profit and non-profit sectors are indeed getting blurred, there are significant differences in professionalisation or the employment of specialised staff across the two sectors. A commercial relationship with the audience and reliance on audience funding is common to both sectors, even when primary goals are not business-driven. The study provides reasons to question the divide between for-profit and non-profit organisations in the Indian performing arts sector, and proposes broader parameters to studying the changing nature of organisations.