Less than 3% children in India’s public schools have systematic opportunities to know and learn any form of music
Since 2016, Baithak has been working towards creating a society with equitable music access and learning opportunities for children from the most marginalised communities.
What started as a weekend activity in 2015 has turned into a music movement that is directly impacting 8000+ children across 137 public schools and community centres and providing sustainable livelihood opportunities to 200+ young artists!
We believe that all Indian traditional art forms are practising art forms – their practice, or Sadhana, helps us be more sensitive human beings and creates a strong foundation for a meaningful life.
Our Supporters and Partners
Meet our team
The Baithak team is a collective of individuals who are passionate about the arts and who believe in the transformative power of music.
Dakshayani Athalye
Co-founder and CEO
Mandar Karanjkar
Co-founder and Chief Communications Officer
Tejal Kulkarni
Project Coordinator – The APT Project
Atharva Choudhary
Project Coordinator – The APT Project
Dhanashree Joglekar
Project Coordinator – The APT Project
Ambarish Athalye
Operations Associate
Devika Rajwade
Creative Associate
Anshul Sharma
Project Coordinator – Archive Project
Pushkar Mahajan
Project Coordinator – The APT Project
Our Advisors
Anandhi Yagnaraman
Ex CEO, Catalysts For Social Action
Radha Shelat
Ex-CTO, Veritas, IT Advisor
Anandhi Yagnaraman
Founder and MD, chlorophyll
Radha Shelat
Ex-CEO, Recron Malaysia, Advisor
What Do We Stand For?
The Baithak story began in 2015.
Mandar and Dakshayani decided to experiment with introducing Indian vocal music to children at a community centre. They had many doubts about whether children would enjoy, if it would be relevant and add any meaning to their life and many more. In a few months, they realised the power of this exposure and decided to convert this passion into an organisation.