Nitesh Shrivastava — Government Approved Art Appraiser | Section 34AB | Proprietor, A2Z Valuers
Nitesh Shrivastava has practised Government Approved art appraisal in India for more than two decades — long enough to have seen the PAG market develop from a mid-career market to one of the most expensive national art markets in Asia; long enough to have tracked Husain, Souza, Raza, and Gaitonde through their price cycles; and long enough to have built institutional relationships with auction houses, galleries, and collecting families that allow an appraiser to bring practical market intelligence to every certificate.
APPROVED
Market Knowledge Backed by Statutory Authority
The role of a Government Approved Art Appraiser sits at the intersection of the art market and the statutory valuation framework.
His art appraisal practice is grounded in the same combination of statutory authority and institutional credibility that defines the broader A2Z Valuers practice: the Section 34AB registration that makes the certificate legally authoritative; the Income Tax Department appointment that confirms the government’s own institutional trust; and the ₹50+ crore Mughal jewellery and colonial Indian art valuation that confirms the commercial market’s trust.
This combination allows the appraisal to consider not simply a stated artist or object, but the wider evidence surrounding attribution, provenance, market comparables, authentication, condition and statutory purpose.
Independence from the Art Market Is the Appraiser's Most Important Protection
The most commercially valuable characteristic of a Government Approved Art Appraiser is independence: the appraiser does not buy or sell art; does not represent galleries; does not have a financial interest in the outcome of any transaction; and does not charge fees contingent on the appraised value.
Potential Commercial Interest
A gallery certificate may come from a party actively buying and selling the artist's work.
An auction estimate may be connected to the objective of securing a consignment.
A dealer's opinion may come from a participant positioned on one side of a transaction.
Independent Professional Assessment
The appraisal is not dependent on whether the artwork is bought, sold or consigned.
The assessment is prepared independently of the transaction and its commercial outcome.
Section 34AB registration provides the statutory foundation required for applicable valuation work.
This independence is not merely an ethical principle. It is a practical necessity when a valuation must withstand scrutiny from the Income Tax Department, NCLT, High Court, insurers and other institutions.
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