Joining an international community of artistes, producers, songwriters and composers who help shape the Grammy Awards voting process, Ankith sees the recognition not as a personal milestone alone, but as an opportunity to champion Tamil music and support the next generation of independent artistes.

"My goal is to see Tamil music at the Grammys someday. We have rich sounds, talented singers and so many beautiful languages in India. I want to make sure regional music reaches audiences across the world,” he says.

At 12, he began creating music on his father's office iPad. What began as curiosity soon became a passion. He started uploading videos online and connected with musicians from different parts of the world through social media, paving the way for collaborations that would shape his career.

Over the years, he has independently released more than 100 songs, earned a Guinness World Record for composing a song in 14 languages and received recognition from the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. He also became one of the youngest Indian hip-hop artistes to chart repeatedly on the iTunes Top 100.

“The journey to becoming a Recording Academy Voting Member was a six-month process. Every year, the Recording Academy inducts members from across the world to ensure diverse voices are represented in the Grammy Awards voting process. As a voting member, I can recommend music and vote during the awards process. It's an honour, but it's also a huge responsibility because you're helping recognise music from across the world. I want the unheard to be heard," he tells us.

For Ankith, however, the recognition is only the beginning. He believes Indian regional music deserves a much larger global audience. "People across the world listen to music in several other languages without necessarily understanding the lyrics. Music transcends language. I believe Tamil music deserves that global audience too. We know the richness of our sounds and the talent we have, but it hasn't reached the global stage in the way it deserves yet," he says.

Beyond creating music, Ankith has spent the last two years mentoring emerging artistes. Inspired by legendary producer Dr Dre's approach to artist development, he hopes to work with five or six promising musicians every year, particularly those who may not have access to opportunities, equipment or industry support. "Sometimes talented people step away from music because they don't get the right recognition. I don't want that to happen. I want more people to come into music and I don't want existing artistes to give up," he shares.

He is currently working on a traditional folk music album featuring Tamil artistes and plans to focus on projects that explore the deeper sounds of Indian culture.