From VIT techie to ‘The Tabla Guy’: How this engineer ditched the corporate rat race to build a musical empire

His family wanted him to become an engineer, but Nikhil Paralikar asked for just one year to prove that he could make a living playing the tabla. That year turned into a career spanning thousands of performances, a 16-member musical collective and a growing presence in India's contemporary music scene.The Hyderabad-based musician recently caught the attention of industrialist Anand Mahindra, who shared his story on X. Mahindra highlighted Paralikar's decision to pursue music instead of following a conventional career path, drawing a connection between creative professions and the changing nature of work in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).From engineering degree to a career in musicParalikar completed a BTech in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). However, music had been part of his life since childhood. He reportedly began learning the tabla at the age of five and trained in Indian classical music.After graduating, he faced a choice between a conventional job and pursuing music professionally. He asked his family to give him a year to establish himself as a musician.Instead of taking the usual corporate route, Paralikar began experimenting with ways to bring traditional Indian percussion to contemporary audiences.How The Tabla Guy took Indian percussion to new audiencesKnown online as ‘The Tabla Guy’, Paralikar began combining tabla rhythms with electronic dance music, techno and popular songs.One of his widely circulated performances was a tabla interpretation of ‘Bella Ciao’, the song associated with the series Money Heist. His fusion performances helped introduce traditional percussion to audiences beyond the usual Indian classical music circuit.According to the details shared in Mahindra's post, Paralikar has performed more than 2,500 times and played before audiences of over 15,000 people.He also created The Tabla Guy Collective, a 16-member ensemble bringing together Indian classical and folk traditions with electronic and contemporary music.Why Anand Mahindra believes his career choice mattersIn his post, Mahindra praised Paralikar for having the courage to step away from a conventional career path. He also recalled his own decision to study filmmaking as an undergraduate instead of engineering.Mahindra linked the musician's experience to the changing job market, arguing that as AI becomes capable of performing more technical tasks, distinctly human skills such as creativity, music and performance may gain greater value.Paralikar's journey offers a different perspective on career planning for students who feel pressured to choose conventional professions after completing engineering or other degrees.His experience shows how formal education and creative interests can lead to different professional directions. For Paralikar, the one year he requested from his family became the beginning of a career built around music.Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and Anand Mahindra's social media post. TOI Education has not independently verified all performance and career details.Get the latest Education News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.