Photos: James Duncan Davidson

“I’m so nervous,” says a very sweet Raghu Dixit as he takes the TEDGlobal stage. The former microbiologist tells us that he quit his career 15 years ago “to become a rockstar.” Whereas one might usually scoff at such half-baked plans, TEDGlobal turns out to be the place where it’s actually paid off. As such, while Dixit recently performed for the Queen of England, he’s now on stage with his four-piece band, mixing Indian vibes with rocking beats. The TED crowd is … unrhythmic, but his first song sees a few brave souls dancing in the aisles while his second piece has everyone on their feet, clapping and whooping.