Mahesh Tinaikar, pioneer of Indian rock music, dies at 63

Mahesh Tinaikar, a pioneering guitarist and founding member of the influential Indian rock bands Rock Machine and Indus Creed, has died in Mumbai at the age of 63. His death, reportedly following a heart attack, has prompted widespread tributes from the Indian music community.

Tinaikar was a central figure in establishing the Indian rock scene during the 1980s. He helped form Rock Machine in 1984, a group that played a significant role in bringing Western-style rock to mainstream Indian audiences through relentless touring and successful albums such as ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Renegade’ (1988) and ‘The Second Coming’ (1990).

In the early 1990s, the band transitioned to the name Indus Creed and began incorporating traditional Indian instruments into their sound. Tinaikar’s influence was noted by contemporary musicians, including singer-composer Vishal Dadlani, who described him as a legend who ‘lit up the way’ for subsequent generations of Indian rock artists.