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Sadda haq kithe rakh ?

Hi guys! Fellow musician/producer here.

I’ve been thinking about something lately ! India’s independent music scene seems to be exploding right now hip-hop/rap, indie pop, techno, house, electronic music, etc. but where is the equivalent mainstream resurgence of rock??

I’m talking specifically about hard rock, alternative rock, indie rock, punk, grunge, post-punk, etc. Not necessarily metal (no hate to the metal heads).

India does have an underground scene and some incredible bands, but when was the last time an Indian rock song genuinely became mainstream and culturally unavoidable? (Mostly rock songs have become popular thru bollywood like rock on, rockstar etc.).

Where as Indian hip-hop has managed to build an entire ecosystem around itself, Artists, labels, producers, cyphers, festivals, fashion, internet culture and, most importantly, a young audience that identifies with the music.

Electronic music seems to be doing something similar through clubs, festivals and a rapidly growing concert culture...

Rock music still feels somewhat stuck between “underground musician culture” and nostalgia for the older Indian rock scene..

And I don't mean this as an attack on bands making emotional/love/loss-oriented music. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I sometimes wonder...

Where are the Indian rock songs that make people want to fcking jump, scream and headbang??

Where is the modern Indian equivalent of the cultural energy that punk, grunge and alternative rock had in other countries?

Maybe the problem isn't the music itself. Maybe it's the ecosystem.

We still seem to have relatively few mid-sized venues where an original band can consistently build an audience. But there seems to be a gap between playing tiny gigs and suddenly being expected to fill a huge venue..

At the same time, concert culture in India is changing rapidly. People are travelling for international hip-hop, techno, pop and electronic acts, and festivals are becoming important platforms for discovering independent artists..

Festivals like lollapalooza are also growing I have seen many people love The Strokes after they came to India ! Especially the newer generation, maybe people aren't exposed to rock music as much as they're to other genres !?

So I'm curious -

Do you think there is actually a demand for a new Indian rock movement, or has the audience simply shifted towards hip-hop, electronic music and other genres?

And if you’re an Indian rock fan, drop the names of bands/artists you think deserve way more attention. I’m particularly interested in hard rock, alternative, punk, grunge, post-punk and experimental stuff..

I know bands like The Local Train have become huge within the Indian indie ecosystem, and there are plenty of current rock/metal acts doing interesting things. But I wonder if there is room for something much more aggressive, contemporary and culturally disruptive.

I’m asking because I’m a musician/producer myself, and I’m seriously considering putting together a rock band. Not just to start another band, but to build something around the music and the culture.

I want to explore what rock could sound and feel like if it was actually connected to Indian youth culture in 2026(Desi rock for the 21st century) with guitars, drums, distortion, volume and everything that comes with it.

Would love to hear what people here think.