#3 - Aria Daga: the informal creative economy in the slums of Mumbai Research in Reach

In the third episode of Research in Reach, PhD-student Aria Daga takes us along on a journey to the slums of Mumbai. Ever since she made the move to Rotterdam she has started to look at her home-country India through different eyes. Her discovery of hip-hop music straight out of one of the biggest slums of the country induced her to write a PhD about the thriving ecosystem of the informal economy. What makes hip-hop from the slums of Mumbai so special? What is it like to study this phenomenon from such a distance?

The discussion offers a personal account of Aria’s rediscovery of Indian culture, her surprise in encountering experiences she never knew existed, and her personal journey of exploring the academic field. We will stumble upon Aria’s family, culture, her interests, and we will — of course — listen to some of her hip-hop favourites. Listen along and discover an unexpected place for a thriving economy and an unexpected journey to starting a PhD.