Archives of Current Research International

The orange economy has moved from a regional policy metaphor to a widely used frame for cultural and creative activities whose value depends on talent, symbolic content, intellectual property, design, technological mediation and cultural heritage. Its policy appeal is clear, yet the evidence base is conceptually fragmented: sector boundaries vary across classifications, direct contribution is often conflated with causal growth, and digital expansion can increase both market access and concentration. This critical narrative review examines how creative capital is converted into sustainable economic value globally and assesses the implications for India at a moment when the term “orange economy” has entered explicit national policy discourse. Literature published mainly from 2000 to 15 June 2026 was identified through EconBiz, OpenAIRE, CORE, DOAJ, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar and supplementary Indian searching through Shodhganga, with Crossref and authoritative source pages used for bibliographic and DOI verification. The synthesis distinguishes direct production effects from innovation spillovers, cluster and urban effects, platform-mediated value capture, cultural and social value, environmental sustainability, and distributional outcomes. The evidence indicates that creative industries can support employment, entrepreneurship, exports, diversification and innovation, but these effects are neither automatic nor uniformly distributed. Benefits depend on related capabilities, local institutions, demand conditions, network connectivity, rights regimes and the bargaining position of creators. Platformisation and artificial intelligence expand production and distribution possibilities while intensifying questions of remuneration, discoverability, data rights and market power. India combines unusual strengths in cultural diversity, film and audiovisual production, crafts, design, digital services and a large young workforce, but fragmented measurement, informality, unequal labour conditions and weak evaluation constrain policy learning. Recent investments in creative-technology institutions and content-creation laboratories may strengthen capabilities, but their growth effects remain untested. A sustainable orange-economy strategy therefore requires measurement that captures value chains and distribution, place-sensitive ecosystem policy, creator-centred digital governance, and explicit integration of cultural, social and environmental objectives with economic performance.