When A.R. Rahman spoke at the inauguration of the 99th Annual Conference of The Music Academy in Madras, India, held on Dec. 15, his remarks as the chief guest carried both reverence and urgency.
Addressing one of the most venerated institutions of Indian classical tradition, he called for greater awareness of classical music and dance among younger and global audiences. His words were not a provocation against tradition, but a sober recognition of reality: artistic excellence, however profound, does not sustain itself in a rapidly evolving cultural and technological landscape.
Indian classical music and dance represent some of the most sophisticated artistic systems in human history, shaped by centuries of philosophy, discipline, and lived practice. Yet history is unequivocal. Traditions that do not evolve in how they are presented, contextualized, and shared risk becoming insular. Rahman’s argument was not about altering the core of these forms, but about ensuring that their meaning, emotional grammar, and relevance are legible to audiences who did not inherit them by birth or proximity.
Encouragingly, many younger artists have already internalized this insight. Across social media platforms, digital concert spaces, and global collaborations, a new generation is innovating boldly while remaining grounded in classical rigor. They are using short-form video to explain ragas (“Carnatic melodies”), employing visual storytelling to illuminate abhinaya (“expression”), collaborating across genres to invite curiosity, and reaching millions who would never enter a traditional sabha (“royal court”). Technology, in their hands, has become a vehicle for preservation rather than erosion. What they demonstrate is not dilution of tradition, but continuity expressed in a contemporary language.
What remains missing is not talent or innovation, but a coherent ecosystem that supports these efforts at scale. Education has always been the backbone of Indian classical arts, and rightly so. Yet education alone does not create audiences, nor does it ensure cultural relevance beyond a shrinking circle of insiders. Presentation, narrative framing, marketing, and venue choice are not secondary concerns; they are acts of stewardship. Without them, even greatness struggles to resonate.
This belief shaped my decision to produce the UTSAV Festival at the Kennedy Center beginning in 2013. The guiding idea was simple and uncompromising: India’s national treasures of talent deserve to be presented with the same institutional seriousness and global visibility accorded to the world’s most celebrated artistic traditions. The Kennedy Center was chosen not merely for prestige, but for what it symbolized. Indian classical arts belong on the world’s foremost stages, positioned as global culture rather than ethnic programming.
During that experience, I had candid conversations with leading arts critics in the United States that proved both illuminating and unsettling. Several explained that Indian classical performances were often not reviewed—not because of a lack of respect for the art, but because the surrounding ecosystem did not signal ambition or investment. Performances were frequently staged in venues that diminished their impact, marketed narrowly within insular communities, and presented without the curatorial framing that invites broader cultural engagement.
Critics, like audiences, respond to cues. When producers do not demonstrate seriousness through presentation and outreach, it quietly communicates that the work is not intended to participate in the wider artistic conversation. To be clear there are indeed several events and organizations that are creating such platforms at prominent venues and they are to be recognized.
This reality becomes even more striking when viewed against the economic capacity of the Indian diaspora in the United States. Indian Americans are among the most economically successful demographic groups in the country, with median household incomes exceeding $150,000—more than double the U.S. national average. Estimates suggest that Indian Americans control well over $1 trillion in aggregate household wealth.
Philanthropic giving from the community has grown significantly, now estimated at $4–5 billion annually, but historically this has represented a smaller percentage of income compared to other high-income groups in the U.S. Moreover, the majority of these contributions flow toward education, healthcare, religious institutions, and humanitarian causes, both domestically and in India.
By contrast, communities with long-established philanthropic traditions have consistently invested in cultural institutions—funding venues, endowments, programming, and audience development—recognizing the arts as a form of civilizational presence and soft power. The capacity within the Indian American community clearly exists; what remains underdeveloped is a sustained commitment to supporting classical arts as a shared cultural responsibility rather than a peripheral passion.
READ: Composer A.R. Rahman to collaborate with OpenAI CEO on AI music project (
Nita and Mukesh Ambani to their credit recognized this need and built a world class venue in Mumbai. Chennai, the music capital of the world in December, needs such a place as the epicenter for the arts in Asia and the world, especially during the “season.”
A.R. Rahman’s remarks at the Music Academy should therefore be understood as a call to action rather than a critique. They challenge institutions, patrons, and cultural leaders to move beyond preservation alone and toward purposeful positioning. This requires collaboration between public institutions that safeguard training and heritage, and private supporters who are willing to invest in presentation, storytelling, and global engagement. It also requires trusting younger artists not merely as performers, but as cultural translators who understand both the sanctity of tradition and the expectations of contemporary audiences.
True reverence is not passive. It is visible, intentional, and forward-looking. It is choosing the right venue even when it costs more, investing in sound and lighting, engaging critics and curators, and speaking confidently to new audiences. It is believing that Indian classical music and dance are not niche inheritances, but universal offerings.
The talent is abundant. The innovation is already underway. What remains is the collective will to build an ecosystem that matches the depth of the art with the scale of its ambition. If A.R. Rahman’s call is heeded—not defensively, but decisively—Indian classical arts can claim their rightful place not merely as preserved heritage, but as living, global culture.
As we enter 2026, here is a request to the wealthy Indian American leaders: Commit to developing a “National Endowment for Indian Arts,” bringing together an ecosystem to protect the national treasures of our Indian heritage across the world.