Credits: Rithvik AR
India’s Underground Electronic Scene Is Growing—How Far Can It Go
India has long played a quiet yet influential role in the global electronic music landscape. While often overlooked in the international spotlight, the country’s contribution is deeply rooted in its diverse cultural heritage and unique sound. In recent years, India’s underground electronic music scene has seen a remarkable transformation. The fanbase has massively grown with more and more globally renowned artists touring the country.
What began in the early 90s with a few passionate artists has now evolved into a thriving ecosystem. Many artists from the country have now carved out global recognition, while a few record labels continue to push new sounds from the subcontinent. Some homegrown festivals are now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world’s best. In spite of the growing fan base for underground electronic music, several challenges still remain.
To understand the momentum behind this rise and the obstacles, we spoke with some of the most influential promoters and artists shaping the future of India’s underground electronic music scene.
How India’s Underground Electronic Scene Came to Life
Let’s rewind for a second. It’s easy to look at the current wave and forget just how hard the early pioneers had to push. Arjun Vagale, one of India’s pioneering electronic artists, recalls a time when the “underground electronic” scene was virtually non-existent. “A handful of DJs and collectives worked against all odds to slowly build the counterculture during the early 90s, and that led to a significant shift in how electronic music is perceived today,” he notes.
Vridian remembers the period between 2007-2013 when urban cities were dominated by a thriving live scene. “In terms of house, techno and other forms of alternative/underground music – it was just the first few at this time (Midival Punditz, Jalebee Cartel, Bhavishyavani, BLOT!, Kohra, DJ Ivan, Sunny Sarid etc),” he explains. Many of these artists held residencies at clubs like Elevate, Kuki, Manre, and Ivy in NCR, while organizing their own parties with unique identities—”The punditz had Cyber Mehfil (1997 onwards), BLOT! Had ‘Moar Disco’ (2010 onwards).”
Pradhumn Ranawat from Maushi offers a comprehensive perspective on this evolution: “Back in the early 2000s, it was still a taboo among many, but the foundation was laid due to persistent promoters and venues back then keeping it going. By 2015, that narrative had changed.” He describes how the scene was steadily growing with improving quality—”sound, lights, decor, and the overall experience”—before the pandemic brought everything to a halt.
The post-COVID landscape has witnessed an unprecedented boom. “That sudden stop to a culture driven by youth is the reason the scene just blew off post-COVID,” Pradhumn explains. “Sure, there was an overflow—more events than ever, not all great—but the past few years helped filter things. It’s not easy to survive in this industry, one bad event can sometimes shut down a company.”
Film, an artist and curator who has played a pivotal role in shaping Delhi’s electronic music landscape, confirms this post-pandemic surge: “The venue attendance is back to pre-pandemic numbers and there are way more DJs than before owing to streaming.” Far from seeing this as problematic, Film notes that there are “definitely a huge number of people coming out for Electronic Music gigs more than ever.”
Kohra, founder of Qilla Records, highlights this expansion: “We’ve gone from barely one major club per city playing broadly what a dance floor would expect to an extent – all the way to multiple clubs in not just the major metros but even in smaller cities.”
How DIY Culture and Community Shaped the Scene
Film emphasizes the collaborative nature that helped establish the scene, particularly in Delhi. “I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by like-minded people when the scene was fairly ripe and pretty much the MO of the day was to DIY and figure it out,” he reflects. He credits several key players: “I would like to give a shout out to Bass Foundation (Ed & Maarten), Ricky (Auro & Summer House), DJ Mocity (Boxout), Arjun Vagale & Dev Bhatia (Unmute Agency), and Wild City (Munbir & Sarah,) which made it fairly easy to learn the ropes.”
This DIY ethic remains a cornerstone of India’s electronic scene, with Pradhumn revealing that “most of the organisers don’t come from an event management background.” This can lead to “a lack of business understanding,” but he adds that’s “not necessarily a problem as long as you’re asking the right questions and actually looking for answers.”
Why Tech, Sound, and Logistics Remain a Struggle
Despite the expansion, technological and infrastructural challenges persist. High import duties, currency exchange rates, and limited local resources make equipment considerably more expensive for Indian labels and promoters.
Kohra experienced this firsthand when pressing Qilla Records’ first vinyl: “We don’t have any pressing plants in India, and if we do use a plant in Europe, we have to pay VAT above the cost price, which we cannot claim back as an Indian outfit. If this wasn’t enough, the heavy import duties don’t allow for us to bring our stock back into India either.” This forces labels to keep their stock in Europe and use third-party companies for shipping—”This eats into our profits and also takes the cost of the record high.”
While the production has definitely improved over the past few years, sound systems remain a particular pain point. “Promoters and festival organisers will shell out massive amounts to book headliners and other international artists but not put even 5% of the budget towards the sound – which is a shame,” Kohra observes. He emphasizes that sound quality is fundamental: “The sound systems are the highlight of any music event – this doesn’t only go for electronic dance music but any sort of music.”
Pradhumn views these things with a different perspective: “High-quality sound and lighting are definitely accessible today, but not affordable for most promoters. Lack of good tech vendors means higher prices for good products.” He adds that production infrastructure is improving but still has “a long way to go. Right now, only a few players can afford to go all out consistently, and that limits how fast the scene can grow on a broader level.”
Film identifies another critical infrastructure gap: “The biggest challenge I still see is that we lack professional manpower and mentorship.” This shortage of experienced professionals hampers the scene’s ability to reach international standards consistently.
Can Indian Underground Artists Make a Living?
For new artists and promoters, financial sustainability presents a significant hurdle. Vridian advises his students at Global Music Institute that “there is more than one way to monetize music,” suggesting they pursue various avenues like sync licensing, audio for games or videos, or even jingles.
Film points directly to market saturation as a core issue: “It’s just a function of more artists than venues so the pie to make sustainable money is pretty less.” His practical advice reflects the reality many face: “Hold your day job and if need be get involved in all aspects of the business to have a rounded perspective.”
While there are now more opportunities within the music industry beyond just making a living as an artist, the surge in interest has not been matched by an increase in well-paying roles. For most companies, profit margins remain thin, limiting their ability to offer competitive salaries. Moreover, essential benefits such as medical insurance, employee stock options (ESOPs), and other perks are still rare in the music sector.
Bringing International Acts to India
In a country where the purchasing power is significantly lower than that of the West, the high fees charged by international artists remain a persistent challenge for promoters and bookers. Film explains: “The high cost of touring due to sheer inflation all over the world has led to some challenges, plus the number of venues that do electronic music is still quite small.” He adds that “the ticket sales & revenue are still pretty razor thin, especially if you don’t have brands backing up your shows.”
Pradhumn elaborates on how the post-COVID market disruption affected booking fees: “Over the past few years, especially after COVID, there’s been a surge in new promoters and venues who were ready to overpay international artists with strong social media presence rather than skill-based artists, which really skewed the market. Fees went up across the board, and that made it harder for others to sustain things properly.”
He sees a silver lining, however: “The good part is that things are settling down now. Artists and agencies are becoming more selective, they’d rather work with experienced promoters who can deliver a proper event, instead of just anyone with a big budget.”
Pradhumn from Maushi highlights how ticket sales remain “one of the biggest challenges in the industry.” He explains the complex dynamics at play: “At the grassroot level, people still don’t buy tickets for club nights. And due to high competition, venues end up offering free entry, which keeps the whole guest list culture alive—and that just fuels the problem further.”
However, he sees positive change in consumer behavior: “People are more receptive towards higher ticket prices now as long as they are getting an overall better experience. That’s one of the reasons boutique events are on the rise. That mindset wasn’t as common before.”
Baltra at Maushi’s Day Dream Holi
Is Gatekeeping Holding People Back?
Gatekeeping is a common term quite prevalent, especially in the underground electronic music scene throughout the world. The question of gatekeeping—whether established players block newcomers or artists from different parts of the music industry from entering the scene—elicits strong responses. Film is particularly emphatic: “I have an absolute disregard for this term – gatekeeper. I find it interesting for people who have never ever put together an event to weaponize this as an excuse.” His assessment is refreshingly direct: “In this country you could literally walk up to a club owner, show them the numbers and get shit done. So there is no gatekeeping whatsoever.”
He acknowledges that “cliques and crews exist, but it’s mostly out of a comfort zone of working with people you trust and love,” suggesting that perceived barriers may simply be natural professional relationships rather than intentional exclusion.
Vridian offers a more nuanced view, distinguishing between harmful and constructive forms of gatekeeping: “There are two types of gatekeeping. One is the toxic and insecure one, which denies merit and withholds the overall growth of everything. The other is simply quality control.” He argues that while toxic gatekeeping should be eliminated, quality control “SHOULD always exist, because the dilution of quality is already prevalent and tends to happen when things expand.”
Can You Build a Business in This Scene?
In a country where government support for the industry is limited and much of it still operates in an unorganised manner, breaking into the scene and building a profitable long-term business can be incredibly challenging for new curators.
Pradhumn approaches the question from a business perspective: “It’s definitely a tough industry, but anyone with the right vision and intent can break through.” He points to a common misconception: “From the outside, it looks like a flashy lifestyle full of parties, which draws a lot of people in but the reality is a bit more complex.”
His advice for sustainability echoes Film’s emphasis on consistency: “Having consistency is vital if you want to last in the long run. People start taking your brand seriously when they see you show up again and again with quality.”
A stark difference between India’s scene and those in Europe or the US is government support. Film explains this institutional gap but frames it within a broader cultural context: “Comparing this to India, where attending these kinds of events and festivals mostly runs on private equity and is catered as a luxury for the upper middle class, it’s unfair to compare — but considering it has still pushed through despite the challenges, I have nothing to complain about personally.”
Pradhumn explains: “Over there, events are seen as a legit part of the cultural and creative economy. Here, even though events generate massive revenue under the entertainment industry, they’re still looked down upon by both the government and society.”
He elaborates on the regulatory challenges: “Most of the rules feel like they’re built to restrict rather than support.” However, he remains hopeful that “with bigger concerts and more visible revenue coming in will make the govt understand the importance of better events infrastructure.”
Talent Has Never Been the Problem
India has made significant contributions to music, known for its distinct sound and its ability to cater to Western audiences while preserving its core values. Genres like Goa Trance and Acid House, which later went on to rock stages worldwide, were born in the country. Building on that legacy, today’s Indian electronic artists are flourishing creatively despite persisting challenges
Arjun Vagale proudly states, “We have a wealth of really talented artists in India, who are at par with anyone internationally. The only difference is geography!”
When asked about rising talents, Vagale names several: “Oddible, Skeef, Audio Units, dotdat, Kolission, Innerworld, Film, Shaun Moses – to name a few!”
Kohra points to emerging collectives shaping the future: “It’s an exciting time in India, there are so many new labels and collectives on the rise at the moment that it’s a bit hard to keep track. A few recent ones that come to mind are Antariksh, ONNO Collective and Padmini Records.”
Closing the Gap with the World
As India’s underground electronic scene expands, international recognition follows, though barriers remain. Kohra notes that geographical challenges have diminished thanks to improved internet connectivity: “The world keeps getting smaller and I don’t see this as a challenge today, at least not anymore.”
However, Pradhumn identifies another critical barrier: “Another big challenge is the lack of strong networks between countries. There aren’t enough trusted agents bridging India with international circuits. So even when you reach out, you often don’t get a response. Agencies don’t know who to trust, and without those relationships in place, breaking through can feel impossible at times.”
Film provides perspective on the comparison with international scenes: “First and foremost, it can’t be compared. Nightlife in first world countries (EU/US/UK) is kind of a necessity for people to blow off some steam and there is some considerable amount of institutional funding to protect the culture and most importantly recognised as something which needs to be protected.” This stands in stark contrast to the Indian context, where events are “mostly run on private equity and catered as a luxury for the upper middle class.”
Despite these challenges, Film remains optimistic: “We still have a long way to go as an Electronic Music scene which contributes globally but I’m pretty positive that we will get there in the next decade or so.”
Vision, Intent, and the Road Ahead
For emerging artists aiming to enter the Indian underground scene, seasoned veterans have practical, experience-driven advice to share. Kohra notes, “The intention is the key behind any successful event. What are you doing and why – the style of music, choice of sound, decor and artists do matter, but I think that is secondary and becomes much easier to navigate through if the intent is mapped out clearly.”
For Qilla Records, challenges became opportunities: “Honestly, none of this would have been possible if the challenges didn’t come our way.” What began with distribution difficulties evolved into a comprehensive in-house operation: “Today, we have enough Indian artists to release music from, one of India’s most exciting graphic designers working with us, international artists releasing and touring with us, as well as our own in-house mastering unit known as AudioSol.”
Arjun Vagale’s perspective encapsulates the philosophy that built India’s underground electronic scene: “I always believe – a real artist will make do with whatever tools they have to make the art they want. ‘Do or do not, there is no try.'”
Pradhumn shares his company’s successful approach: “What worked was our intention to throw honest parties. Even with minimal production budgets, we always aimed to give people the best possible experience.”
His early strategies reveal the grit required: “To counter the budget issues we had to cut corners wherever we could, sometimes working 12–14 hours a day during those early years just to make things happen. But throughout that phase, we were constantly researching, identifying problems, and coming up with our own unique solutions.”
India’s underground electronic music scene has come a long way. The journey hasn’t been easy—artists and promoters have faced a wide range of challenges along the way. As the scene continues to evolve, striking a balance between commercial growth and artistic integrity has become increasingly difficult. Film’s concluding statement captures the industry’s resilient spirit: “We still have a long way to go as an electronic music scene that contributes globally, but I’m pretty positive that we will get there in the next decade or so.”
From being overlooked on the global stage, India is now emerging as one of the most talked-about electronic music scenes worldwide.
The article features exclusive contributions from Arjun Vagale, Kohra, Film, Vridian, and Pradhumn from Maushi.
