© 2022 IJRAR February 2022, Volume 9, Issue 1 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) IJRAR22A1649 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) www.ijrar.org 349 Optimizing Indian Classical Music [ICM] to Cater to a Larger Listening Public and Generating a Sustainable Market Sanjoy Bandopadhyay 1 Professor of Music Central University of Sikkim. Earlier he was Ustad Allauddin Khan Chair Professor at the Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. Abstract The practitioners of Indian Classical Music [ICM], India's intangible cultural heritage, are facing demand and supply imbalance. This imbalance has negatively impacted the musicians, and this rich and highly developed musical form is also facing a decline in its popularity index. The change of time, changes in the general pace of life, changes in the public value system, and changes in average sensitivity for classical arts are some of the major causes for these implications. This paper is based on the notions that (1) ICM can effectively serve a large volume of listening public, (2) Carefully curated ICM has the potential to satisfy general ICM-uninitiated listeners, and (3) this art form requires a larger market. The presentation is based on the investigator's long experience in ICM performances, academic orientation, and peripheral understanding of business principles through non-formal studies. The study tried to identify the causes, suggest methods to generate higher exchange values, and generate a sustainable market. The paper suggested taking up appropriate research to identify potential components and the optimized mix of music and allied components to cater to the challenges. The research outputs can be used for future applications in ICM for success in generating significantly higher exchange values from the large ICM-uninitiated listening public. Keywords: Indian Classical Music, sustainable market, imbalance, exchange values, uninitiated listeners, optimization The ICM connoisseurs are generally against taking ICM for general consumption, and the same was valid for puritan musicians. The connoisseurs wish to enjoy their exclusive status as listeners, and the musicians prefer to retain old values. The music was confined to the elitist group. ICM could make only negligibly few musicians' lives comfortable, and the rest had to accept dismal situations. As able presenters and practitioners of this rich heritage art, the musicians did not receive their due positions, respect, and remunerations. Bakhle, while amplifying her "yes, but" historical argument, stated the status of court musicians not as glorious as the authors portray while writing the successful history of classical music. The musicians were not seen as the exclusive torchbearers of the glorious music traditions. But opposite to it, they were treated as "specialized servants" to boost the image of the rulers in the then immaculately laid modernized courts. The state rulings did not even spare the ancient art music to put under the beam of the streamlining strategies (Bakhle, 2005, p. 257). 1 Sanjoy Bandopadhyay is a retired Professor of Music. He served as a Professor at the Central University of Sikkim. Earlier he was Ustad Allauddin Khan Chair Professor at the Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.