India has a deep and old musical history. Indian musical instruments today fall into three basic genres. There are instruments for classical Indian music, Western music instruments and folk music instruments from different parts of India. Indian music industry today is no longer limited to the two main forms of classical music but in fact has widened to include within its purview genres like popular music, folk music, rock music, rhythm and blues and hip hop music. Music has always had a deep impact in India and has been used in religious worship, for cultural representation as well as for entertainment. Since India is made up of many cultural and ethnic groups, each of which uses its own language and style for music, Indian music adopts many distinct styles.

Bhangra, ghazal, qawwali, thumri, bhajan, gurbani etc are a few musical styles that are part of India's musical heritage. In addition, with the fusion of cultures, Indian musicians have come to combine Western and Middle Eastern influences in their music as well. Consequently a range of Indian instruments today would include modern versions of the sitar, tabla and other basic Indian instruments. Modern Indian musical instruments are basically divided into the categories of stringed instruments, wind instruments and percussion instruments.

The guitar, which is believed to be a version of the Indian sitar, is one such instrument. It is not uncommon for modern Indian musicians to even employ the use of electric guitars in their compositions. The flute and tables are still integral parts of Indian music and fit well into the genre of popular music.