The globally renowned Indian classical sitar player and music composer Bhagirath Kumar Pankaj Bhai Bhatt has received an honorary doctorate Degree(D.Phil) from Dunster Business School (Switzerland) during the esteemed Global Excellence Summit 2025 in recognition of his immense contribution to Indian Classical Music, as well as promoting the sitar onto a global sphere via cinema, television, spiritual performances and collaborative opportunities with artists worldwide.
Bhagirath Bhatt has a comprehensive background as a musician with over 10 years of experience. He is known to be a composer that has worked on various film productions (including Bollywood and Hollywood) and other media formats.
The committee feels that Bhagirath's continued excellence in art, cultural influence, and dedication to maintaining the integrity of traditional music while finding ways to deliver those same musical styles in a modern context, are evidence of his artistic representation and ability as a musician.
Bhagirath Bhatt has a very good academic background in the field of music. He has completed a Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA) programme with a Gold Medal, and his educational background includes a Master of Performing Arts (MPA) in sitar. The combination of formal training and the mentorship of some very accomplished gurus has given him a very systematic and scholarly method of making and studying music. In addition to his commercial work, he has had an extensive career performing spiritual music on the sitar for Ram Katha, Bhagavat Katha, and Shiv Mahapuran for over ten years. Through this activity, Bhagirath Bhatt has supported and enhanced the cultural aspects of his musical style and devotion.
Bhagirath expressed his appreciation to the media, his teachers, family, and mentors during his acceptance speech. He believes that receiving an honorary doctorate is an honour, but more importantly, it is a responsibility to use this qualification to continue his dedication to the education, preservation, and internationalisation of Indian classical music, and these responsibilities will become part of his role as a cultural ambassador of Indian Classical Music worldwide. The awarding of the honorary doctorate from Dunster Business School to Bhagirath Bhatt demonstrates how respected he is as a cultural ambassador worldwide, and is an important milestone in his journey.
