Crossing Borders: How The Raghu Dixit Project became India's biggest folk expert

Twenty-five years after its formation, The Raghu Dixit Project is marking its silver jubilee with its latest single, Amma, a tribute to mothers, and a 2026 international tour spanning Russia, Europe, the UK, the Americas and Australia. The itinerary includes appearances at the Etoetno Festival and London’s Southbank Centre, reaffirming Raghu Dixit’s belief that Indian folk traditions and regional languages belong on the world’s biggest stages.

Raghu Dixit’s journey into music was anything but conventional. A trained Bharatanatyam dancer and microbiology graduate, he first picked up the guitar after accepting a college challenge. While working as a microbiologist in Belgium, an opportunity to perform on local radio convinced him to return to India and pursue music full-time, leading to the formation of The Raghu Dixit Project.

Blending Kannada, Hindi and Tamil lyrics with Indian folk traditions and contemporary arrangements, the band proved that artists performing in regional languages could build global audiences without compromising their identity. Songs like Mysore Se Aayi, Hey Bhagwan, Jag Changa and Parasiva became enduring live favourites.

The band’s debut album, Antaragni – The Fire Within (2010), introduced its distinctive sound and reached No. 1 on the UK iTunes World Music chart. In 2010, an appearance on the BBC’s Later... with Jools Holland brought the band to an international audience, followed by the Best Newcomer award at the Songlines Music Awards in 2011.

The band’s second album, Jag Changa (2013), expanded its global following, while Shakkar (2023) marked the band’s return after a ten-year gap between studio albums with a more reflective body of work exploring love, loss, hope and personal growth. Over the past 25 years, The Raghu Dixit Project has performed more than 2,000 concerts across 36 countries, including for Queen Elizabeth II and the British Royal Family during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Windsor Castle.

A quarter century on, The Raghu Dixit Project remains one of India’s defining independent acts, proving that music rooted in local languages and traditions can resonate with audiences around the world.