"India's internet: a unique market for culturally embedded platforms"

"We expect this category to deepen as India enters a vernacular AI supercycle. Advances in speech synthesis, local language natural language processing (NLP), and multimodal agents will expand use cases across companionship, emotional wellness, coaching, and everyday social chatter. Early apps in this space already report 200,000–300,000 MAUs with encouraging payer conversion. Over time, we believe the monetisation opportunity will widen, especially as AI companions move from novelty to daily ritual in markets where intimacy is scarce but attention is available." This presents an opportunity for cultural institutions such as Kingdoms in Africa to take a leap forward in cultural preservation through offering local language natural language processing and creating ready APIs for tech platforms to easily integrate. This also brings about language 2.0, we create interaction for a new language that both machines and humans can understand easily. Back to African cultural institutions. This is an opportunity to generate insights into language use. Things like frequently used words (FUWs) and slang adaptations of local language. There are also a variety of api integrations from building dictionaries, voice LLMs, keyboard integrations, localised chatbots, and voice. I have a feeling it is a revenue opportunity that cultural institutions can tap into whilst preserving what's theirs.

In a move to strengthen India’s live entertainment economy, BookMyShow has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana Government and Telangana Tourism to bring international-scale concerts and cultural experiences to the state. READ: https://lnkd.in/dXcYABAr

When Akon announced his multi-city India tour for November 2025, the buzz was immediate. But beyond the excitement, there are strong market reasons why this is the perfect time for his comeback. 1. Rising Purchasing Power for Live Entertainment Over the past few years, India has seen a significant increase in discretionary spending, particularly among young professionals and Gen Z. Whether its music festivals, comedy shows, or cultural experiences, people are more willing than ever to pay for premium live entertainment. Akon’s brand of nostalgia-driven yet high-energy performances fit right into this evolving spending habit. 2. Music Events Are Booming India’s live music scene is on an unprecedented rise. From boutique festivals in smaller cities to large-scale concerts with global superstars, the appetite for live music experiences has never been greater. Event IPs are expanding, and international artists now view India not just as a pitstop, but as a serious market with passionate audiences. Akon stepping back into this thriving ecosystem only amplifies the momentum. 3. Nostalgia Is the New Currency On discussing with my colleague Alok Kaul he recently pointed out one of the main reasons, “Nostalgia being at an all-time high.” We’re seeing it everywhere, from older tracks trending on reels to legendary bands like Green Day, Guns N’ Roses, and Coldplay selling out shows worldwide. Audiences are craving artists and songs that defined earlier eras, and Akon’s hits like Smack That, Lonely, and Chammak Challo continue to resonate across generations. His return to India taps directly into this wave of cultural nostalgia. Which artists would you love to see perform in India in 2026? #MusicFestivals #InternationalArtists #ConcertsinIndia #Akon

🎭 India's Creative Economy is Having Its Moment - And We Have the Data to Prove It After building India's first full-stack artist ecosystem for 7 months, here's what we're seeing: 📊 The Numbers That Matter: • 5,500+ verified artists across 380+ cities • 3,000+ singers & musicians actively competing • 200+ event planners using our platform monthly • Average artist income increased 60% post-Arena wins 🎯 The Real Shift: India's ₹65,000 Cr events market is moving away from traditional middlemen who take 20-40% commissions. Direct artist-client connections are becoming the norm. 💡 What This Means: We're not just witnessing growth - we're enabling the professionalization of India's creative economy. Every Arena competition winner, every successful booking, every artist spotlight is building the infrastructure for India's creative future. The question isn't whether India has talent (we do, abundantly). The question is: Do we have the systems to help that talent thrive professionally? That's exactly what we're building at Artist Next Door. Thoughts on India's creative economy transformation? What trends are you seeing in your industry? #CreativeEconomy #IndianTalent #ArtistNextDoor #StartupIndia #EventIndustry #DigitalIndia

India’s live music economy has a new headliner, and it isn’t an artist. From global acts like Coldplay to homegrown festivals in Jaipur, one presence dominates every stage: brands. Whether it’s beverage giants stamping their logos across neon-lit rigs or lifestyle companies building pop-up lounges, corporate sponsorship has become more than support,it’s the structural backbone of the entire spectacle. But how much of this boom is truly brand-fuelled? Could the industry sustain itself without this corporate money? And perhaps most importantly, who is driving whom,are fans pulling brands into the scene, or are brands shaping the very way India consumes live music? Inputs by: Hamza Kazi | Shaju Ignatius | Sheveeta Hegde | Preeti.S Nayyar | Shahir Muneer | Rajeev Raja Ruhail Amin Annurag Batra #livemusic #brands #trending #mustread Read Full story here: https://lnkd.in/gPK3r566

Buying in India is not merely about a specific thing; it is rather more about celebrating festivals, favourite foods, or the impact of films. They create the beat of India's marketplace: colorful, emotional, and ever-changing. For brands aiming to win this market, the answer is simple yet profound: don't simply sell to Indians, rejoice with them. Want to learn how? Check out the blog: https://lnkd.in/gvxNuPN8 #Lexiphora #Indianization #i11n #BuyerPersona #BusinessWithEmotion #EmergingIndia #BoomingIndianMarket #BrandGrowthStory #IndiaMarketEntry #LocalizeForIndia #BusinessBranding #GlobalBusiness #GoLocal #GrowGlobal

Festivals, Faith, and the Business of Bans India’s strength has always been its diversity. Across states, communities, and traditions, every festival here carries its own story, its own flavor, and its own way of celebration. Yet, every year, along with the colors, the music, and the faith, we also find something else brewing—a debate over what should be sold, what must be closed, and who has the authority to decide in the name of “sentiments.” Often, it is the neighborhood shopkeeper who pays the price. A meat seller is forced to shut down in the name of tradition, an alcohol shop is branded an insult to faith, and entire industries like tanneries or leather goods are seen as impure during festive times. But ask honestly—how does a shopkeeper selling food or products hurt anyone’s belief? He is simply doing business, legally, to feed his family. Respect for faith should not mean erasing someone’s livelihood. And truth be told, bans don’t solve anything—they just push markets underground. Meats, alcohol, clothes, even daily items continue to move quietly, away from billing counters, away from GST, and straight into the hands of black markets. COVID showed us this clearly: alcohol was sold at double, sanitizers at triple, onions at gold prices. Festivals, too, become a time when under-table businesses thrive, while honest trade suffers.The real irony? Those raising the loudest voices on “hurt sentiments” are often the ones benefitting from this underground economy. Public words sound pure, but private practices tell the opposite story. If we truly want a Healthy India, we must rise above the politics of bans and hatred. Festivals should unite us, not divide us. Faith should remain personal, not political. And respect should mean harmony, not hostility. A patriotic India is one where: Festivals bring communities together, not break markets apart. People celebrate according to their beliefs without policing others. Businesses remain open in the spirit of freedom and dignity. Black markets have no chance to grow, because legality is protected. That is the India worth celebrating—where unity is the festival, and respect is the culture. #HealthyIndia #UnityInDiversity #FestivalsOfIndia #BeyondBans #LiveAndLetLive #PatrioticIndia #NoToHatredPolitics #RespectLivelihoods #IndiaFirst #HarmonyNotHatredWould

🎵 HYBE India Has Arrived: Amplifying Local Voices for Global Stories 🇮🇳 Today marks a major milestone in the world of music & entertainment in India. HYBE — the powerhouse behind global acts like BTS, ENHYPEN, SEVENTEEN, and more — has officially launched HYBE India Entertainment Private Limited, based in Mumbai. HYBE India is set to: ✨ Discover & develop local talent ✨ Bridge Indian music with global audiences ✨ Create new opportunities in artist management, production & entertainment A huge step that could redefine how Indian voices are heard worldwide. 🌍 👉 The question is — are we ready for the next wave of global music from India? #Kpop #KpopNews #KpopinIndia #KpopIndia #Hybe #HybeinIndia #Hybelndia #India #IndianMarket #BTS #Enhyphen #TXT #Seventeen #KpopCareers #KpopJobs

Navratri moves ₹28,000+ crores in India over 9 nights. 9 nights → ₹28,000 crores. That’s ₹3,100 crores moving every single day. Retail sales spiking 40–50% compared to normal months. 9 nights of music, dance, colour, rituals… and entire industries move faster than most startups do in a year. Because culture sells what marketing can’t. It creates urgency. It drives community. It builds rituals people never skip. People don’t spend because they need to. They spend because culture tells them a story. You’ll buy a kurta even if your cupboard is full. You’ll call it “shubh” and book a new car. You’ll even pay ₹600 for a Garba ticket (yes, I did) That’s India’s superpower. Festivals here move industries The lesson for us Products don’t create billion-dollar markets. Culture does. Because when a festival can move ₹28,000 crores in 9 nights the question isn’t Is there money in India? It’s ”Are you fast enough to get it?”