Depot 48 Co-Founder Vikas Narula Advocates Year-Round LGBTQIA+ Inclusion In GK-2
Following the conclusion of Pride Month in June, Vikas Narula, the queer co-founder of the live music and cultural venue Depot 48 in GK-2, has called for a shift from temporary rainbow branding to genuine, year-round LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the hospitality sector this July.
Speaking on the transition into July, Narula emphasized the need for businesses to move beyond seasonal marketing campaigns to foster everyday activism and safer public spaces for the queer community. For Narula, hospitality should be inherently hospitable, with inclusion extending to daily operations rather than just social media visibility.
He noted that real inclusion involves behind-the-scenes practices, such as how staff members are hired, how they respond when a customer feels uncomfortable, whether patrons can express affection without being made a spectacle, and whether artists feel respected backstage.
Depot 48 has implemented several queer-centric programmes to foster this inclusive culture, including its Pink Thursday events. The venue also recently hosted a Pride Ball featuring drag artist Betta Naan Stop, alongside celebrations that featured Fay Barretto, the founder of Mr Bartender & The Crew.
Narula highlighted that while visibility has increased, the real test of commitment occurs after June. He questioned whether organizations continue to commission queer artists, contract queer-owned businesses, and implement inclusive workplace policies once the rainbow logos are removed in July.
The venue has also witnessed a significant evolution in Delhi's drag culture. According to Narula, when Depot 48 first began hosting drag performances, audiences treated it as a novelty or spectacle. Today, he observed, audiences engage with drag as a full artistic practice encompassing comedy, fashion, performance, and political commentary.
Narula added that a new generation of performers is now bringing regional languages, local references, and distinctly Indian identities to their drag performances, moving away from Western templates and making the local scene richer and more authentic.
