In Chapter 2 of The Evolution of South Asian Music, Akhila and Roochay explore how South Asian sounds are increasingly shaping global music.

They are joined by Petrina Convey, founder of UNITY.Mgmt and a cultural strategist behind campaigns for artists like Beyoncé and SZA across APAC, and Mohamed “Mo” Komba, A&R and artist development executive who has worked with Oliver Cronin, Kaiit and Stan Walker and is currently Founder, COO and A&R at New Levels Distribution.

In part one, they discuss the rise of Indian hip‑hop, why global music companies have long looked to APAC markets, and how artists think about entering South Asia today. They also explore why live shows, local collaborations and on‑ground presence are critical for building audiences in India.

This conversation was recorded live in Mumbai.

Credits

Live Sound: Neel Waghela

Audio Editor: Soham Sengupta

Sound and Venue support: https://www.instagram.com/dreamachine.wtf

Welcome to The Evolution of South Asian Music! Hosted by Akhila Shankar and Roochay Shukla, this podcast chronicles where South Asian music is today and decipher where its heading. Here is what you can expect from the show

In Part Two of The Evolution of South Asian Music, recorded live at SXSW Sydney, hosts Akhila Shankar and Roochay explore what it really takes to understand and enter India’s music market.

Featuring Jade Nazareth (manager for Australian artist Matthew Ifield) and Jashima (founder of multicultural agency Ode), this episode dives into:

• The gap between music charts and on-ground realities in India.
  

• The live music scene, including the underrated opportunity in the college circuit.

• How international artists can successfully build audiences in India, with case studies from Matthew Ifield and the remix of Netflix’s Mismatched “Ishq Hai (This Is Love)” ft. Craig David.

• The opportunities and challenges of entering the Indian market and why investing in South Asia should be treated with the same intent as Western markets.

Shout out to our friends, it takes a village:

Sound by Soham

Photograph by Roydon

Video edit by Philip

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If you like The Evolution of South Asian Music, you will also enjoy The Indian Music Charts Podcast, a show where Akhila and her co-host Amit use the charts as a springboard for a larger conversation on what’s happening in the Indian music industry: https://podfollow.com/the-indian-music-charts-podcast/view

Recorded live at SXSW Sydney 2025, Part One of The Evolution of South Asian Music sets the stage for a deeper look at how South Asian sounds are shaping the global music landscape.

Hosts Akhila Shankar and Roochay Shukla are joined by: 🎙️ Jade Nazareth — Artist manager for Australian singer-songwriter Matthew Ifield, whose largest audience is in India. 🎙️ Jashima — Brand consultant and founder of Ode, a multicultural marketing and talent agency amplifying South Asian voices worldwide.

Together, they unpack:

⭐What defines South Asian music today and who gets to define it.

⭐The key players driving this evolution across borders.

⭐How the listener landscape is changing in India and beyond.

⭐Why global artists are finding unexpected success with South Asian audiences.

⭐How to market to South Asian diaspora

Shout out to our friends, it takes a village:

Photo & Video: Roydon

Sound: Soham

Video edit:Philip

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If you like The Evolution of South Asian Music, you will also enjoy The Indian Music Charts Podcast, a show where Akhila and her co-host Amit use the charts as a springboard for a larger conversation on what’s happening in the Indian music industry: https://podfollow.com/the-indian-music-charts-podcast/view