Aditya Balani
Aditya Balani is a versatile musician and teacher who has established the Global Music Institute and serves as the Project Director for music at ASoSE Delhi Govt. His artistic pursuits have transcended geographical and genre boundaries, garnering recognition from various media outlets such as BBC Asia Beats, MTV Coke Studio, BBC Radio, Rolling Stones, GQ, and The Guardian. He has collaborated with artists from around the world, including Shubha Mudgal, Shilpa Rao, Sudeep Sen, Bellatrix & Mr. Woodnote. Aditya’s EP, Constants and Variables, was recognized as the Best Pop Artist at the Radio City Freedom Awards ’15, and Rolling Stone India named it one of the Top 10 EPs of the year. His debut album, Answers, which was released in 2013, received critical and public acclaim and his song “Quicksand” was nominated for the best song (Jazz/Blues) at the BIG STAR Indian Music Academy Awards.
Amit Gurbaxani
Amit Gurbaxani is a journalist who resides in Mumbai and specializes in covering the music industry in India. He regularly contributes to well-known international publications like Billboard and Music Ally, and also writes a bi-monthly column for the blog of Skillbox, a ticketing platform. With over 20 years of experience as a features writer, Amit has had his work published in several media outlets such as Firstpost, India Today, Mint Lounge, Music Business Worldwide, Red Bull, Scroll, The Hindu, The Wire, and Vogue, among others. His extensive knowledge and expertise in the local music industry have earned him a reputation as an expert in the field. Amit has moderated and spoken at numerous industry conferences and has been a guest on various music podcasts. Most recently, he started his podcast, The Indian Music Charts Podcast.
Yama Seth
Yama Seth is an Artist Manager who works for Big Bad Wolf, a talent management agency with offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. She began her career as the Tour Manager for Vir Das’ Alien Chutney in 2016 and has since worked with several bands in India. Over time, her role expanded from just being a tour manager to providing 360-degree management for Indian Ocean, one of India’s biggest legacy acts, which she has been managing since 2019. Yama is also the manager for Parvaaz, a promising new band in India, which she has exclusively managed since 2017, helping them with successful tours and music releases. In addition to managing these artists, Yama is also responsible for curating the Royal Enfield Ridermania festival, which is a festival specifically for Enfield Riders held in Goa.
Neel Adhikari
Neel Adhikari is a singer-songwriter, composer, and music director who is currently based in Kolkata/Mumbai. He is most well-known for his role as a composer for the popular web series Little Things, and he has also worked as a composer on several other projects, including What The Folks, Laakhon Mein Ek, Bose, Why Cheat India, Thinkistan Season 2, Afsos, Hasmukh, Kia & Cosmos, Ludo, and others. In the past, Neel was a member of several bands, including Five Little Indians (FLI), Gandu Circus, and Neel and The Lightbulbs, but he now performs solo as a singer-songwriter.
Rohan Jain
Rohan Jain is an entrepreneur in the music industry who is on a strong mission to change the way artists perceive their value in the music business. He studied Music Business at MI Hollywood and offers a unique perspective that emphasizes technology as a key strategy to restore artistic independence. Rohan is the founder and CEO of MADverse, a DIY platform that seeks to make a significant impact in the world of independent music.
Rohan’s passion for indie music and his experience of discovering the harsh realities of major record labels motivated him to create MADverse. During his time in India and Los Angeles, he interacted with hundreds of people, gained knowledge, built relationships, and came to the realization that most independent musicians struggle to make a living as they navigate through multiple streaming platforms. MADverse aims to empower artists to be truly independent by providing services that eliminate the challenges associated with traditional record companies.
Vijayalakshmi Narayanan
Vijayalakshmi Narayanan, a former Senior Entertainment Writer at Radio City, has now become an independent Film/Music Journalist with over a decade of diverse experience in the media and entertainment industry. Her expertise extends across various fields, including advertising, public relations, social media, and journalism. After spending five and a half years reviewing and interviewing artists from the Indian film and music industry at one of India’s most popular radio stations, she started her YouTube channel in April 2022. On her channel, she hosts ‘On VJ’s Playlist,’ a long-format video interview series featuring independent Indian artists from all parts of the country, covering a variety of genres and languages, every Friday. Additionally, she has created a dedicated Spotify playlist by the same name, featuring her recommendations of the latest Indian indie tracks to listen to. So far, the playlist has over 500 songs, and Vijayalakshmi has been actively tracking the Indian independent music scene for over seven years.
