Soundscapes of India (SOI) Season 3 concluded after three days of music showcases, panel discussions, workshops, pitching sessions and industry meetings, held from August 29 to 31 at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. Organised by The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) in association with MusiConnect India, the third edition brought together more than 150 artists from over 15 Indian states and international delegates from more than 20 countries across Europe, Africa, Australia, North America and Asia-Pacific.
The three-day programme focused on creating greater opportunities for Indian music to reach international audiences and markets. Conference sessions explored cultural exports, music tourism, festival economies, international partnerships and ways to strengthen India’s presence in the global music industry.
One of the key sessions, ‘Cultural Export as an Economic Driver: Building India’s Global Music Presence,’ featured tabla maestro Bikram Ghosh and Serendipity Arts Foundation Director Smriti Rajgarhia. Country-focused sessions explored the UK’s live music industry, while another session brought together music industry leaders from Tanzania, Eswatini, Egypt and South Africa to discuss export opportunities and learnings from Africa.
Roundtables on cultural diplomacy, international festival partnerships, mapping India’s music ecosystem, and music tourism and the festival economy brought together festival programmers, industry professionals and policy voices to discuss practical approaches to growing the sector.
Philip Grefer, Founder & CEO at WISE, shared his experience: “I was really looking forward to exploring India’s independent music scene. Since this was my first time at Soundscapes of India, I wanted to understand how India’s diverse music ecosystem works -and I found exactly what I was looking for at this event.”
Riju Tuladhar, Co-Founder of the folk music festival (Echoes in the Valley), said, “ It was interesting to witness diversity in Indian music, to meet music colleagues from different countries and within India too.”
Marc Dube, Producer and A&R, Wandering Entertainment, Canada, added, “My experience was fantabulous, and events like this are a necessity. I quite discovered new talent at the event.”
Stani Goma, Founder, Beats of Any Nation Downunder (BAND), Australia said, “I was at SOI to experience the diversity of Indian music, discover talented artists, and explore opportunities to collaborate with them. I’d love to bring some of these artists to Australia, introduce their music to new audiences, and help promote Indian music on the Australian music scene.”
A session on ‘Music Festivals as Engines of Place: Tourism, Local Economies & Cultural Identity’ also looked at the role of government-backed cultural initiatives. Theja Meru, Chairman, TAFMA, Govt. of Nagaland, spoke about how cultural and music festivals can contribute to local economic growth, creative entrepreneurship and regional identity. Koji Sato, Director General, Japan Foundation, highlighted the role of international cultural exchange and institutional partnerships in supporting cultural tourism and long-term place-making.
The conference also included workshops on export-readiness, grant and residency applications, artist branding and how festival programmers select talent. The closing conversation, ‘India’s Many Sounds- Programming India for Global Stages,’ brought together international curators to discuss the qualities that can help Indian artists stand out on global platforms.
One of the workshop attendees reflected on the experience, saying, “Initially, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. But one of the best parts of the experience was the opportunity to connect with so many people from outside India who are looking to engage with the Indian talent. I believe this will open doors for future collaborations.”
SOI also hosted one-on-one pitching sessions connecting Indian artists with festival programmers, bookers, agents, labels, publishers and talent managers from several international markets. The ‘In the Spotlight’ sessions introduced participants to festivals and organisations including Ethno Port Festival – Poland, Fuji Rock Festival – Japan, Bushfire Festival in Eswatini, Hong Kong Arts Festival, South by Southwest (SXSW), Iceland Airwaves, The Great Escape, MAMA Festival and WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo), among others.
Composer and producer Abhijit Vaghani hosted creative sessions in The Discovery Room, where artists collaborated and created music live.
Abhijit Vaghani said, “My advice to all the artists and independent musicians here is simple: the one thing you should never lose is hope, and the one thing you don’t have is time. So, keep hope alive and make the most of your time. You need resilience and consistency. And most importantly, keep trying to collaborate with other musicians.”
Three Nights of Music Showcases
The evening showcases featured artists and groups representing classical, folk, tribal, Hindustani and Carnatic music, pop, rock and fusion.
Day One featured Abhijeet Pohankar’s The Global Varkari, Meghalaya’s Da-La-Riti, Hindustani tabla artist Anuradha Pal, the Isheeta Chakravarty Collective, Carnatic-jazz act Lakkshya and Arunachal Pradesh’s Dobom Doji Collective.
Day Two featured West Bengal folk artist Dipannita Acharya, Naga collective Seyie Intrepid, the Tamil Jazz Collective, Kerala’s Tribemama Marykali, Hindustani-progressive-rock act Param and Nagaland pop-punk band Street Stories.
The festival concluded on Day Three with performances by Desert Kats from Barmer, Ladakh’s Da Shugs, The Ravi Iyer Fusion Experience, the Wahane Sisters, Carnatic-jazz vocalist Varijashree Venugopal and Tamil Nadu’s Jatayu. Sitar virtuoso Purbayan Chatterjee and his band performed the festival’s finale.
The international line-up included Egyptian-Arabic jazz artist Noha Fekri from Egypt, Indonesian guzheng and pipa performer Ngartini Huang, Zhuma Limbu from Nepal and London-based Carnatic-rock guitarist Kapil Seshasayee.
Abhijit Pohankar, of Global Varkari Project, who showcased their music at SOI, said, “This is a fantastic platform that brings together traditional bands and artists from different parts of India and gives them a space to showcase their music. I don’t think a platform like this has been created in India before. It’s a great initiative that opens new opportunities for artists to connect, collaborate, and reach wider audiences in India and beyond.”
Purbayan Chatterjee, along with his band, who performed at the SOI Music Showcase, shared, “We presented a classic concluding act, and it was a beautiful reminder that music is an experience that transcends language. SOI is a wonderful example of this universal power of music. It is inspiring to see so many stakeholders come together and invest in this IP. As an Indian artist, I feel truly proud to be part of such a vibrant and inclusive music community.”
Spotlight on India’s Living Musical Traditions
A highlight of the closing day was ‘Journey through the Living Roots,’ a 60-minute curated presentation featuring musicians from four indigenous communities — the Jenu Kuruba of Coorg, the Ho of Jharkhand’s Kolhan region, the Koch-Rajbanshi of North Bengal and the Chakhesang Naga of Nagaland.
Curated by Chief Mentor and Music Producer Dr. Upali Chattopadhyay, the presentation combined oral traditions, hand-crafted instruments and storytelling. It presented tribal music as a living practice that continues to be carried forward by the communities themselves.
Now in its third year, Soundscapes of India has grown into a platform for music discovery, exchange and international connections. With its focus on the #JoyofDiscovery, SOI continues to create opportunities for artists to discover new audiences, collaborations and pathways to international music circuits.
The initiative also builds on the journeys of previous participants who have gone on to perform at international festivals including Fuji Rock Festival – Japan, Rainforest World Music Festival – Malaysia, Sziget Festival – Hungary, and Gwangju Busking World Cup – South Korea.
