Rishab Rikhiram Sharma debuts next-gen electric sitar, ties with hospital chain to launch music-driven mental health intiative

Mental health advocacy is a cause close to neo-classical musician and sitarist Rishab Rikhiram Sharma’s heart and his 10-city tour in support of the initiative, ‘Sitar For Mental Health Tour 2026’ seeks to help build on that. And on this tour, he debuts Sitara, a next-generation LED-enhanced electric sitar built by his father, master luthier Sanjay Sharma. The sitarist has also announced his partnership with a leading hospital chain’s  in-patient mental health facility to promote awareness and dialogue around mental health.

Designed as a state-of-the-art reinterpretation of the traditional instrument, Sitara builds on a lineage of experimental sitars developed by Sanjay and Manjul Sharma’s Rikhi Ram’s Music, including the Rik-E-Sitar and the Studio Sitar. Explaining the vision behind the instrument, Sanjay Sharma says, “The idea was to enable sitar players to perform modern arrangements especially in Bollywood, fusion and world music, without needing to learn another instrument.”

Unlike the traditional sitar, the new instrument is lightweight and allows performers to play while standing, making it well suited for contemporary stage productions. “Sitara was developed after Rishab’s last India tour in 2024, as he wanted to enhance the visual experience for audiences during live shows. The lighting can adapt to the mood and theme of each performance, seamlessly blending sound and visual storytelling,” adds Sanjay.  

Underscoring the fact that his son will debut the instrument while on tour, the proud father notes, “No other sitarist has performed publicly on this instrument yet. In the hands of a skilled musician, it can move fluidly between Indian classical ragas and Western genres such as blues, rock ’n’ roll and heavier fusion styles. The idea is not to replace tradition, but to expand what the sitar can do and how new audiences can experience it.”

On the whole, ‘Sitar for Mental Health’ is a multi-sensory, immersive advocacy platform, which started as intimate live sessions on social media, now has Rishab touring multiple countries including India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, South America and the Middle East.

The sitarist now brings the Sitar for Mental Health Tour 2026 to 10 cities across India between March and April, including Bengaluru (Mar. 15,) Mumbai (Mar. 20,) Pune (Mar. 22,) Hyderabad (Mar. 27,) Jaipur (Mar. 29,) Chennai (Apr. 3,) Ahmedabad (Apr. 5,) Chandigarh (Apr. 10,) Kolkata (Apr. 12,) and New Delhi (Apr. 19). The tour, expected to draw 10,000-15,000 attendees per city, is being promoted and produced by Team Innovation.

Additionally, a leading hospital chain’s fully integrated in-patient mental health facility, Adayu has partnered with Rishab’s advocacy platform ‘Sitar for Mental Health’ to promote greater awareness and dialogue around mental health and this is expected to be a long term collaboration. It marks the first time the leading hospital chain has introduced a music-centered well-being program into a clinical care environment.

Adayu will integrate music created by Rishab Rikhiram Sharma throughout its hospital spaces, including a dedicated room where patients can experience the therapeutic benefits of music firsthand. Beginning this April, the partnership will launch a nationwide school outreach program across India, aimed at helping young people understand emotional balance, resilience, and the role of creativity in preventive mental health. Over the coming year, the initiative will also include digital awareness campaigns and community-led engagements designed to normalize conversations around mental health and reach wider audiences through meaningful, creative platforms.

Shares Rishab, “Over time, I realized it can also be a powerful tool for healing and connection. Through Sitar for Mental Health, my intention has been to use the language of music to open conversations about emotional well-being and help people feel less alone in their struggles. By joining hands with mental health experts and the team at Adayu, we hope to create spaces where people can pause, reflect and feel supported. If music can help even one person feel understood, calm, or encouraged to seek help, then it has served a purpose far beyond performance.”

By combining clinical expertise with Rishab’s global advocacy, the partnership underscores the growing recognition of music as a catalyst for emotional healing and preventive mental health worldwide.