The Centre for Media and Cultural Studies, (CMCS) is an independent centre of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, engaged in media teaching, production, research and dissemination.

A unique feature of the Centre is the close linkage between the technical and academic areas of its work. The work of the Centre straddles both realms, thus facilitating a synergy between research, teaching and production, all of which are informed by a keen sense of connection with local subaltern cultures of resistance and invention.

The CMCS has done pioneering work in critical media education in the country. The one-year post-graduate Diploma in Media and Cultural Studies focuses on professional media practice and research within a framework that enables the development of a critical perspective on media, culture and society. It seeks to enable the creation of a lively group of thinking doers and doing thinkers.

Production has been an important component of the Centre’s work. It has to its credit, thirteen awards at national and international film festivals. The Centre is also involved in media and cultural studies research. It is in the process of setting up a digital video archive.

A video library and an annotated data base of media materials form a part of the Centre's resources. Faculty and students of the Institute actively access this collection. This database is also used by other agencies, visiting academics, activists and researchers.

The Centre has initiated various activities to facilitate networking and dialogue on themes relating to media and cultural studies within TISS and beyond. The programmes envisaged include a biennial seminar, an Artist/Scholar in residence, fellowships to new practitioners and a Study India Programme.

The new initiatives of CMCS, including the MA, the Archive and the Fellowship Programmes have been made possible by the generous support of the Jamsetji Tata Trust.