Leaf Studios Co-Founder Ayush Banka Talks Technology

Ayush Banka grew up in Delhi with a flair for everything electronics. He developed a love for science at a very young age and went on to pursue Electronics Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering. He has interned with the Omnipresent Robotics working on projects like Unmanned Aircrafts, Quad-copters and voice controlled wheelchair. Ayush got together with four of his friends from college - Avinash Bansal, Chiraag Kapil, Manik Mehta and Paras Batra and built a company called 'Leaf Studios' with a vision to solve imperative problems in society by using technological solutions. Their first product was called 'SAFER' which was smart jewellery for women to keep them safe and connected. Today, Leaf Studios has become one of the leading companies from India working in the domain of wearable technology and has also won multiple awards for their work. We caught up with Ayush Banka after his panel - Technology, Data and Design - at Music Inc 2.0 to talk about music and technology.

1. What was your take away from Music Inc 2.0?
   • [Music Inc was] a very relevant platform to connect people from all walks of life in the music industry - artists, managers, consumers, innovators. [I was] thrilled to witness how everyone is contributing to this evolving ecosystem.
2. What do you think is the state and scope of music in the present scenario in India?
   • India is right now at a very unique position when it comes to music. With DIY distribution channels available like YouTube, creators are able to test out their creation in the most lean way possible. This is making it possible for genres, that were once considered niche, to hit the mainstream charts today. Combined with power of data, internet adoption and new technology like blockchain and AI, it has a long journey ahead.
3. How do you think different industries/government can contribute to the music culture?
   • Govt and companies can work together collaboratively to promote regional content. Government (state and centre) should see music as a powerful means of connecting people in order to generate rich social, cultural and economic benefits. India has always had a rich music culture, and it should be used well to give the country a music identity.
4. How do you think live music can be integrated into different sections of the industry?
   • Virtual/Live concerts can be one of the next big breakthrough which can increase the reach of a performer by multifold and enables them to adjust/fine tune their music according to the response they are getting. This will also enable the advertisers to run audience specific promotion campaigns.
5. How is Leaf Studios pushing the boundaries of technology and design with respect to music?
   • At Leaf, we are building audio products that enables you to personalise your music content as per your sound profile. Powered by AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning), Leaf sound engine makes listening experience unique for consumers.
6. How is Leaf integrating metadata tech into its design?
   • Apart from building audio products, we are developing a platform which will enable anyone to discover/share trending music content from the people with similar taste. Think of it as Instagram of music.
7. What direction do you think the music industry is heading in, in the future?
   • Digitisation and Democratisation are the two core pillars that are going to spearhead the direction of this industry. With constant change in the way music is produced and consumed, creative minds all across the globe are building tools to empower artists so they can keep creating amazing music content.
   • In addition to this, we can very well expect to see increasing adoption of music by various industries like Education, Mindfulness etc. Thus, possibilities are infinite.