We’re Already in the Industry. We Deserve to Be in the Room.

South Asian women are already making meaningful contributions to the Music Industry. We’re working across record labels, artist management, marketing, PR, live events and countless other areas, helping shape the music and culture that audiences engage with every day. Yet despite the work we’re doing, our presence isn’t always reflected in the industry’s most influential spaces.

This year, we were proud to work alongside Music Defined on an initiative that brought together a group of South Asian women working across the music industry to attend the Women in Music Awards 2026. For us, this was about more than attending an awards ceremony. It was about creating an opportunity for women who are already contributing to the industry to be present in spaces where their work deserves to be recognised.

Punch and Music Defined brought together a table that included Jasmine Dotiwala, Jasmine Takhar, Krish Kudhail, Khush Jandu Quiney, Bina ‘B’ Mistry, Aarti Popat, Meenal Odedra, Indy Vidyalankara , Nikita Chauhan, Sannah Sajid, Ammo Talwar and Rupinder Virdee.

This wasn’t about introducing women to an industry they weren’t already part of. It was about recognising the contributions they’re already making and ensuring they have access to the spaces where those contributions are celebrated. Events like the Women in Music Awards offer more than recognition. They’re opportunities to build relationships, expand professional networks and connect with people who can influence the next stages of our careers.

For women from underrepresented backgrounds, access to these spaces can often depend on who you know, the networks you’ve built and the opportunities you’ve been given. We wanted to help change that.

As a South Asian woman working in music myself, I understand how isolating it can sometimes feel to navigate an industry where you don’t always see people who share your background or experiences. Being surrounded by other South Asian women who are equally passionate, ambitious and talented was a reminder that we are here, we’re doing incredible work and we deserve to be recognised for it. We shouldn’t have to wait until we’re at the very top of our careers to feel that we belong in these rooms. We belong in them now.

And ultimately, the more visible we become, the easier it becomes for the next generation of South Asian women to imagine themselves following in our footsteps.