iWorld
Young Indian western classical vocalist strikes gold in Tokyo classical competition
MUMBAI: The daughter of a streaming aggregator boss has just delivered a performance to remember. Vanshi Mudaliar, the 12-year-old daughter of Avinash Mudaliar, co-founder and chief executive of OTTPlay, claimed the gold prize at the Golden Classical Music Awards in Tokyo on 20 August, performing live at the world-renowned Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.
The victory follows her silver medal at Vienna’s International Arts Festival in 2024, making her one of the youngest Indian musicians to secure consecutive top honours across Europe and Asia in Western classical music competitions—a field historically dominated by European, American and Russian performers.
“Her victory at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall marks a breakthrough moment for Indian talent on the international classical music circuit,” says her father, clearly basking in paternal pride.
The competition attracted global participants, with winners selected through online auditions before the most exceptional performers were invited to Tokyo for three days of live performances. Vanshi took the stage on the final day, 20 August.
Her success stems from five years of intensive training under Rahel Shekatkar at Rahel Music Academy in Pune—a 150-kilometre journey from the family’s Mumbai base that has proved worthwhile. Despite the distance, this student-teacher partnership has now produced two major international victories.
Shekatkar’s academy has established itself as a premier destination for western classical vocal training in India. Vanshi’s achievements demonstrate the quality of musical education available domestically, bridging Eastern and Western musical traditions.
At just 12, Vanshi has carved out a unique position in India’s musical landscape through her dedication to Western classical music—a genre demanding exceptional technical precision, vocal control and interpretive skills. Her journey from Mumbai to Vienna to Tokyo illustrates the global recognition Indian artists can achieve in traditional western art forms.
With two major international victories already secured, Vanshi represents a new generation of Indian classical musicians making their mark globally, opening doors for other young artists and highlighting the importance of nurturing musical talent early.
e-commerce
Instamart gold dig event at Hussain Sagar goes viral
Hyderabad activation ties to gold price lock offer ahead of Akshaya Tritiya
MUMBAI: All that glitters isn’t just gold, it’s also great marketing. A quirky on-ground activation by Instamart at Hussain Sagar Lake has turned into a viral spectacle, with videos of people digging for gold coins flooding social media feeds this week. The campaign, executed in collaboration with Moms, transformed a patch of the city’s iconic lakefront into what online users quickly dubbed a “mini gold rush”. Armed with spades, participants dug through a mud-filled pit in search of hidden gold coins, an activity that drew crowds, cameras and plenty of commentary online, ranging from amused disbelief to outright fascination.
At the heart of the frenzy was a promotional push for Instamart’s ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature, which allows users to secure prevailing gold rates between April 10 and April 16 and complete their purchase later during Akshaya Tritiya, a period traditionally associated with high gold buying. The mechanic cleverly blended physical participation with digital conversion, turning curiosity into a potential transaction.
Branded as ‘Gold Diggers’, the activation leaned into gamified engagement. Those who struck lucky walked away with coins, those who didn’t were nudged with a simple message: lock the price now, buy later. The result was a steady stream of footfall and a surge in user-generated content, as onlookers and participants alike documented the spectacle.
The timing is significant. India remains one of the world’s largest consumers of gold, with demand peaking around Akshaya Tritiya. Data from the World Gold Council suggests the festival alone accounts for roughly 25–30 tonnes of gold purchases annually, making it a high-stakes window for brands looking to tap into consumer sentiment.
As the ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature remains live until April 16, the campaign has already done its job turning a simple product feature into a citywide moment. Because sometimes, the quickest way to get people talking about gold isn’t to sell it, it’s to make them dig for it.
