PM Modi meets music composer Ramesh Vinayakam in Chennai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met renowned music composer Ramesh Vinayakam and his family in Chennai.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “In the midst of election campaigning, had the opportunity to meet Thiru Ramesh Vinayakam Ji and his family in Chennai. Ramesh Ji is a music composer and has devoted his life to popularising Indian music. He gave me a glimpse of his work in making the Gamaka Box Notation System. This is an innovative way to take Indian music to the world!”

Ramesh Vinayakam, who has devoted his life to promoting Indian classical music, demonstrated the system he developed in 2009. The Gamaka Box provides a modern, technology-compatible method to preserve and document Indian music, effectively bridging traditional knowledge with contemporary tools.

Explaining the concept, Vinayakam said the system has the potential to create a comprehensive repository of Indian music using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

During the session, PM Modi also tried playing Vande Mataram on a tablet under Vinayakam’s guidance. Impressed by his enthusiasm, the composer remarked that the Prime Minister was “the best student.” He also presented PM Modi with a pencil, an eraser, and a blank manuscript – a gesture he traditionally offers to those who learn from him.

The interaction concluded with Vinayakam performing a devotional composition, leaving the Prime Minister visibly delighted.

Vinayakam’s work has received recognition for blending traditional Indian musical heritage with modern technology, with the Gamaka Box system seen as a pioneering step towards globalising Indian music.

The Prime Minister’s Tamil Nadu visit comes ahead of assembly elections in the state, scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 23, with counting set for May 4.