In 1996, I produced my first concert in Miami. It featured Bollywood legends Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy. I had no prior experience in entertainment production; I only had a deep love for music and culture that stemmed from my family’s roots. That one event sparked something important inside me. I did not know it then, but it planted the seeds for what would eventually become Kash Patel Productions.
Twenty years later, I observed South Florida’s Indian community thriving. Cultural festivals, restaurants, and businesses had grown rapidly. However, one essential element was missing. South Florida needed professional, large-scale Bollywood concerts that reflected our heritage and connected our community through music. I realized that I could fill that gap. I wanted to offer those experiences to my family, friends, and neighbors. So, in 2016, I decided to launch Kash Patel Productions.
Growing up in Trinidad, Bollywood music played a central role in our lives. It was the soundtrack to family gatherings and community events. My mother was a massive fan of Bollywood films and music. She passed on her love of Bollywood to me at an early age. When Indian artists toured the Caribbean, it was a great honor for families like mine to host them in our homes. Those experiences showed me that music creates identity, connection, and pride.
When my family moved to South Florida in 1985, I found another close-knit Indian community. South Florida quickly became my permanent home. I started working at my family’s hotels during my teenage years. This experience taught me the importance of discipline, customer service, and the value of building strong relationships. These early lessons helped shape my entrepreneurial path across every business venture that followed. South Florida is where I later built ASTA Parking into one of the largest parking management companies on the East Coast. It is where I raised my family and where I knew that Kash Patel Productions (KPP) could make a lasting impact.
At KPP, our mission has been clear from the beginning. We aimed to elevate South Asian entertainment in North America through creative experiences and professional, consistent, family-friendly concerts. I wanted to deliver shows that audiences could trust and where customers would be confident they would have a safe, high-quality experience. I also wanted my children and future generations to maintain a strong connection to our heritage.
Launching KPP came with significant challenges. The South Asian entertainment scene in the United States had long relied on informal methods. Tickets were often sold physically at community centers and local businesses. Moving to a fully digital ticketing and marketing model required a significant shift in thinking. Convincing audiences to transition to online sales was not just about adopting a new method; it was also about embracing a new mindset. It required modernizing the entire South Asian concertgoing experience in North America. We committed to leading that transition through audience education, streamlined ticketing systems, and raised production standards.
Today, Kash Patel Productions is the fastest-growing South Asian entertainment company in North America, having produced shows in major cities across the United States, including Miami, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. We have collaborated with some of the most iconic artists in the industry, including A. R. Rahman, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, and Anirudh Ravichander.
Our concerts transcend mere performances; they are cultural milestones that unite tens of thousands of like-minded attendees. They also generate substantial tourism and local business activity. In Broward County, KPP events have generated substantial revenue for hotels, restaurants, and small businesses. Every major event creates a measurable ripple effect in the local economy, and this impact continues to grow as we expand our presence.
The future of Kash Patel Productions looks strong. Over the next five years, we plan to triple the number of cities we serve and are actively building a strategy for global touring. This year, we are producing the A. R. Rahman North American Tour. This will be the largest production in our company’s history and one of the most extensive Bollywood tours ever to take place in North America. Our vision is to position South Asian entertainment at the forefront of global music culture and plan to expand beyond North America to deliver South Asian cultural experiences globally.
Throughout this growth, we remain deeply committed to the South Florida community. Broward County played a major role in our story. It is where I first learned the importance of community, resilience, and hard work. Every new event, partnership, and investment is another opportunity to strengthen our local economy and enrich South Florida’s cultural landscape.
Building Kash Patel Productions has never been just about the business; at our core, KPP is about preserving our heritage, celebrating our South Asian identity, and creating spaces where our community can feel a sense of pride. It is about inspiring younger generations to appreciate their heritage and showing the world that South Asian music and culture belong on the world’s biggest stages.
The entertainment industry is constantly evolving in response to technological advancements and shifting consumer habits. However, the human need to connect through shared experience remains constant.
Live entertainment is important because it fosters human connection through shared interests and unforgettable moments, reminding us that we are not all that different from the person standing next to us. Streaming has been great for sharing art with a global audience, but it can never replace the energy of live music performed before a crowd, the emotions brought on by a live performance, or the pride of seeing your culture celebrated before thousands of people.
Outside of work, I balance a secret love of Taco Bell with a passion for fitness and staying active every day. These personal rituals keep me grounded and energized as we continue to build the infrastructure for KPP’s expansion.
If I could offer advice to my younger self, it would be to stay focused, stay humble, and never stop learning. We have big dreams ahead. We have larger milestones to reach. Every show, every city, and every voice that sings along reminds me why I built Kash Patel Productions. It was to create something greater than myself. It was to build a legacy that connects generations through music.
