The Indian Institute of Cartoonists (IIC) is an organisation based in Bangalore that serves to promote and preserve cartooning and cartoonists in India. Founded in 2001, the institute hosts the Indian Cartoon Gallery with rotating exhibits focusing on different artists. It has organised more than one hundred exhibitions of cartoons.
IIC was registered as a non profitable organization under Trust act in 2001 to promote the art of cartooning in India with B. V. Ramamurthy as the Chair person, V. G. Narendra as the Managing Trustee and B.G. Gujjarappa as a member Trustee. The chief patron as Mario Miranda. Then Governor of Karnataka, V. S. Ramadevi inaugurated the IIC at Bangalore on 8 June 2001. Seven leading cartoonists were felicitated with Lifetime Achievement Award. Mario Miranda, Pran, S.D. Padnis, Bapu, Gopulu, Yesudasan and S. K. Nadig. More than 100 cartoonists from across the country had participated in the function. R. K. Laxman was felicitated with Lifetime achievement Award in February 2002 in another function.
(IIC as in May 2017)
After the demise of the IIC Chairman B. V. Ramamurthy, Ashok Kheny (M.D. Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise and an ardent admirer of the cartoons) step forward as Honorary Chairman of the institute. He dedicated the Institute 5000 square feet of premises in the heart of Bangalore to establish the Indian Cartoon Gallery, first of its kind in India. The premises has a vast, tastefully designed 2000 sq. ft. of Gallery, a conference hall and a space for a Library. Since then, every month the gallery is conducting fresh cartoon exhibition of the professional as well as amateur cartoonist. Later on, the gallery has been awarded by the Limca Book of Records.
The Maya Kamath Memorial Awards(MKMA : 2008-2021) Competition for excellence in political cartoons and Best Budding Cartoonists award was started in 2008. IIC is also organising MKMA competition. These awards have been instituted by the family of late cartoonist Maya Kamath(1951-2001). The jury for selecting best cartoons for the awards includes Girish Karnad, S. G. Vasudev, B. G. Gujjarappa and Satish Acharya.