Indian Singer Songwriters: 9 From Lucky Ali On

Indian singer songwriters to know, from Indipop pioneers Lucky Ali and Mohit Chauhan to Prateek Kuhad, Anuv Jain, Taba Chake, Mali and Aditi Ramesh.

Key facts

Indipop: Lucky Ali's debut album Sunoh stayed in the top three of the MTV Asia charts for 60 weeks (Wikipedia).
Elektra: Prateek Kuhad became the first Indian artist signed by the American label Elektra Records, in 2020 (Wikipedia).
Obama list: Kuhad's cold/mess was on Barack Obama's Favorite Music of 2019 list (Wikipedia).
Chart-toppers: Anuv Jain's Husn and Jo Tum Mere Ho reached No. 1 on the Apple Music India and Spotify India charts (Wikipedia).
Nyishi first: Taba Chake was the first artist from Arunachal Pradesh to compose and release Nyishi songs on streaming platforms (Wikipedia).

Indian singer songwriters have taken two routes over the past 30 years. One runs through the Indipop boom of the 1990s, with artists like Lucky Ali and Mohit Chauhan. The other is the streaming era, which has made bedroom writers like Prateek Kuhad and Anuv Jain into chart names. This guide covers nine artists who write their own songs, from the Sunoh era to Full Moon Chamber. It includes Raghu Dixit, Taba Chake, Mali, Aditi Ramesh and Kavya Trehan. Every fact comes from a cited source, mostly the artists' Wikipedia entries.

More facts

Lucky Ali's debut album Sunoh stayed in the top three of the MTV Asia charts for 60 weeks (Wikipedia).
Prateek Kuhad became the first Indian artist signed by the American label Elektra Records, in 2020 (Wikipedia).
Kuhad's cold/mess was on Barack Obama's Favorite Music of 2019 list (Wikipedia).
Anuv Jain's Husn and Jo Tum Mere Ho reached No. 1 on the Apple Music India and Spotify India charts (Wikipedia).
Taba Chake was the first artist from Arunachal Pradesh to compose and release Nyishi songs on streaming platforms (Wikipedia).

Two routes to the same song

Before streaming, Indian singer-songwriters mostly reached people through Indipop albums on music television or by crossing into film playback. Today a song can go from a YouTube upload to the top of the Spotify India chart with no label or film behind it. The nine artists below cover both routes. For a lighter, guitar-led list, see our guide to Indian indie folk and acoustic artists.

The Indipop generation

Lucky Ali

Wikipedia calls Lucky Ali, born Maqsood Mahmood Ali in Bangalore in 1958, "a significant figure of Indipop during the 1990s." He is the son of actor Mehmood. His debut album, Sunoh, won Best Pop Male Vocalist at the 1996 Screen Awards and stayed in the top three of the MTV Asia charts for 60 weeks. Its song O Sanam launched his career. He later sang Ek Pal Ka Jeena for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), which won him the 2001 Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer.

Mohit Chauhan

Mohit Chauhan was born in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, in 1966. Wikipedia says he had no formal training in music and earned a master's degree in geology. He sang in the band Silk Route, whose 1998 debut album Boondein included Dooba Dooba. From 2002 he moved into film playback singing, with songs such as Khoon Chala from Rang De Basanti and Tum Se Hi from Jab We Met. Wikipedia calls him "one of the most prominent Indipop singers" and notes his two Filmfare awards.

Raghu Dixit

Raghu Dixit was born in 1974 and leads the Raghu Dixit Project, a multilingual folk band from Bengaluru that sings mostly in Kannada, Hindi and Tamil. The band's self-titled debut album was the first release on Vishal-Shekhar's label in 2008. It came out internationally in 2010 on Wrasse Records and reached No. 1 on the UK iTunes World Music chart. His best-known songs include Lokada Kalaji and Gudugudiya. More on the band is in our Raghu Dixit Project profile.

The streaming generation

Prateek Kuhad

Prateek Kuhad was born in Jaipur in 1990 and writes in Hindi and English. He learned guitar at 16 and studied maths and economics at New York University, where he discovered Elliott Smith. His debut album, In Tokens & Charms, came out in 2015. In 2020 he became the first Indian artist signed to Elektra Records, according to Wikipedia. His 2018 song cold/mess made Barack Obama's Favorite Music of 2019 list. He released The Way That Lovers Do in 2022 and his fourth album, Full Moon Chamber, in 2026.

Anuv Jain

Anuv Jain, from Ludhiana, began writing songs at 16. Wikipedia describes his music as "simple chorded songs" about love and heartbreak, mostly played on acoustic guitar or ukulele without percussion. Baarishein, his first recorded song, was uploaded to YouTube and became a sleeper hit. Husn and Jo Tum Mere Ho both reached No. 1 on the Apple Music India and Spotify India charts. He was on Forbes India's 30 Under 30 list in 2023. Read our full Anuv Jain profile.

Taba Chake

Taba Chake was born in 1992 in Khunglo village in Arunachal Pradesh. He is a fingerstyle guitarist who writes in Nyishi, Hindi, Assamese and English. Wikipedia says he was the first artist from Arunachal Pradesh to compose and release Nyishi songs on streaming platforms, and reportedly the first from the state to tour nationally. He played guitar in a metal band before releasing his debut album, Bombay Dreams, in 2019. It includes Aao Chalein, Shaayad and Walk With Me. He has played Ziro Festival of Music and NH7 Weekender. For more from the region, read our guide to Northeast India bands and artists.

Mali

Mali is Maalavika Manoj, born in Chennai in 1993 to Malayali parents and now based in Mumbai. She learned piano until she was 17 before picking up guitar. Her debut album, Deceptive, came out in 2013 and was mixed by Anton Pukshansky. The title track of her 2017 EP Rush was ranked second on Rolling Stone India's list of the 10 best Indian singles of 2017.

Aditi Ramesh

Aditi Ramesh is a Mumbai-based independent singer-songwriter and former lawyer, Wikipedia says. She is trained in Carnatic music and has sung in the bands Ladies Compartment and Voctronica. She released Sambar Soul and Shakti in 2020.

Kavya Trehan

New Delhi's Kavya Trehan first came to notice in the indie-pop duo Mosko. She studied drama at the National School of Drama and psychology at Lady Shri Ram College. She releases solo music as KAVYA and acted in the 2025 Netflix series The Royals.

Where to start

Begin with O Sanam by Lucky Ali and Dooba Dooba by Silk Route. Then play Prateek Kuhad's cold/mess, Anuv Jain's Baarishein, Taba Chake's Khud Ko Miloon and Mali's Rush. That gives you 30 years of Indian songwriting in one short playlist.

FAQ

Who is the most famous Indian singer-songwriter?

Among independent artists, Prateek Kuhad and Anuv Jain are two of the biggest. Kuhad was the first Indian artist signed to Elektra Records, and Anuv Jain has had No. 1 songs on Spotify India. From the 1990s, Lucky Ali defined Indipop.