Diljit Dosanjh foresees India surpassing Coachella's legacy

Making history as the first Punjabi artiste to perform at Coachella, singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh discussed ambitious plans for India's entertainment industry during his 2024 New Year's Day meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At their meeting in the prime minister's residence, Dosanjh shared his vision of India hosting music festivals that could eclipse global events like Coachella, where he performed in 2023. "I believe we can make it much bigger. People travel from all over the world for such festivals," said the 40-year-old artiste.

The singer emphasised India's rich musical heritage, pointing to the natural talent found in everyday settings. "Whether we are eating food in a dhaba or someone is singing in Rajasthani, the song we listen to is so melodious that I feel like I should stop singing," Dosanjh remarked.

Prime Minister Modi discussed his plans for the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (Waves), which took place in February 2024. "My idea is that we are such a big country, and most of the world's films are made here. The biggest creative industry in the world is here," Modi said, outlining his vision for India as a global creative hub.

The conversation included Dosanjh's successful "Dil-Luminati India Tour," which covered major cities across India in late 2023. "It is the biggest ever tour from India. We performed in so many countries and did so many stadium shows," Dosanjh said, reinforcing his belief in India's potential.

Modi shared an anecdote about discussing Indian music's diversity with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, describing how the country's musical traditions vary with the time of day and different emotional contexts. He also commended Dosanjh's humility despite his international success and encouraged the artist to promote environmental awareness through his performances.