Meghalaya artist secures spot among top 10 finalists in national EDM challenge

A 22-year-old electronic music producer from Meghalaya is one of the representatives from Northeast India on the global stage at the upcoming World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai.

Mark Ryan Syiemlieh from Upper Shillong has been named among the top 10 finalists for 'Resonate: The EDM Challenge,' a major competition under the 'Create in India' initiative. The announcement came on April 12 from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in partnership with the Indian Music Industry.

"Being among the top 10 finalists is truly an honour. It's a moment of pride and reflects the effort I've dedicated to my journey as an artist," said Syiemlieh, who holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from St. Anthony's College, Shillong, but is currently based in Mumbai.

The young artist, whose music blends techno with uplifting trance and house elements, praised the platform for its support of emerging talent. "WAVES has been an outstanding platform. It's rare to find competitions that genuinely support and uplift emerging talent," he added.

The competition attracted hundreds of entries from across the country, with the final selection representing diverse regions including Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, and Meghalaya. All finalists will perform live at WAVES 2025, scheduled for May 1-4 in Mumbai.

The preliminary judging panel featured industry experts from Lost Stories Academy, including audio engineer Amey Jichkar, who has worked on Bollywood projects and major brand campaigns, and Anshuman Prajapati, a beatboxer and music producer specialising in Lo-Fi and Hip-Hop.

WAVES 2025 marks India's first global summit focused on media and entertainment, aiming to position the country as a hub for content creation and technological innovation across numerous creative fields.