Number of empaneled Hindustani musicians in India in 2023, by type

Hindustani vocalists made up the highest number of empaneled musicians in India as of 2023. Tabla artists followed, with over 50 empaneled musicians during the same year. Through the empanelment, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations promotes and calls on the pool of artists to represent Indian art and culture abroad.
There are two major traditions in Indian classical music, Hindustani and Carnatic, differing in terms of origin and style of singing. Traditionally, Hindustani music belonged to north India and is largely vocal-centric and emphasizes improvisation and exploring all aspects of a raga (melodic scales).