Instituted in 2015 to perpetuate the legacy left behind by scholar-musician and thinker Dr Ashok Da Ranade, the Memorial Trust seeks to encourage scholarship in the performing arts. The presence of cultural plurality and diversity in India and its reflection in the musical landscape of the country was a significant area of engagement for Dr Ranade in his ethnomusicological writings, and it is this idea of inclusivity that we hope to preserve and propagate through the activities of the Trust.

The annual memorial lecture series is a step in this direction, as it seeks to reflect upon ideas and themes that engaged Dr Ranade and that are represented in the large body of work he has left behind. The Trust also holds seminars on similar subjects. In addition, the Trust will award fellowships for research projects in music, dance, drama, and interdisciplinary studies involving one or all of these.

The Trust also provides support to the Dr Ashok Da Ranade Archives situated in Pune, Maharashtra.