ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Indian community shines at SXSW 2026
The seven-day event spanned across music, innovation, and leadership.
-
1759953093.png)
Staff Reporter - Fri, 20, Mar 2026
- 14:50 EDT
- 26
Representative image / Courtesy: Handout
The Indian community played a prominent role across multiple sectors in the 40th edition of South by Southwest (SXSW) 2026, which took place in Austin from March 12-18.
Participation extended across music, film, publishing, technology, and community-led programming, with multiple events, panels, and performances involving South Asian creators and professionals.
ALSO READ: Australia to host Explore India Festival
In music, performers including Ananto presented sets combining Indian musical elements with jazz and R&B structures. Avanti Patel’s “O Gaanewali” project focused on the legacy of traditional women performers within Hindustani music.
Jasmine Jethwa incorporated influences drawn from Bollywood compositions. Bollyflow, presented by South Asian House Soundvilla, integrated classical Indian dance forms such as Bharatnatyam and Kathak with hip-hop choreography.
Community programming included the South Asian Meet Up, hosted by Mohini Todkari and Nitin Bajaj, which brought together participants from film, startups, and other industries.
The Asian Creator Economy Meet Up focused on discussions around content creation, monetization models, and culturally rooted innovation.
The Indie Meme South Asian Film Meet Up enabled exchanges between filmmakers and producers working across regions and formats.
Authors and speakers from the diaspora participated in discussions and book events. Rohit Bhargava presented ‘Non-Obvious Thinking & Future Normal,’ addressing changing consumer and business patterns.
Ruchika T. Malhotra discussed themes from ‘Uncompete,’ focusing on collaboration-based approaches in business strategy. Mohnish Pabrai spoke about decision-making frameworks, including the concept of “Lollapalooza effects,” which examines the combined impact of multiple mental models.
Sessions on leadership and workplace dynamics featured Anu Mandapati, chief people officer at Qultured, who discussed approaches to leadership in evolving work environments shaped by remote work and automation.
In the health sector, Poonam Desai addressed nutrition and environmental exposure, while Pavitra P. Krishnamani discussed the role of wearable technologies and artificial intelligence in digital health systems.
Mentorship sessions were conducted by Ajay Shah, Avantika Bagri, Naresh Lalchandani, Sunila Levi, and Kartik Hosanagar, who engaged with early-stage founders and professionals through one-on-one interactions and advisory discussions.
In business and technology, Shourya Agarwal, founder of Flam, presented work related to AI-based advertising systems. Community-led efforts were also represented by groups such as the American South Asian Network, which focused on engagement and collaboration initiatives.
The festival concluded with participation from global creators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, with contributions from the Indian diaspora reflected across programming in arts, technology, and community engagement.
SXSW is an annual event that takes place in the month of March in Austin, Texas, bringing together the technology, music, and film industries. Founded in 1987, it has grown from a regional music gathering into a major international platform for networking and cultural exchange.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login