Change trajectories in culture are hard to map accurately in the present, especially when they are not linear. In applied commercial semiotics, the R-D-E is the most popularly used framework for mapping culture change. This framework assumes that ideas and meanings (signifieds) move their way through the collective imaginary of society in a linear fashion, moving from emergent to dominant to residual. While this linear pattern has the merit of simplicity, it is very often, not an accurate representation of the type and direction of change that is in the making or likely to happen. This is more so in India, a country that has a very old civilization. In India, the past is never settled and is often a living past. History is revisited regularly to suit the political and other needs of the present, of some social group or the other. Some aspects of the present are a carry forward from a remote past with very little apparent change. While other aspects are extremely contemporary and modern. The pace of change is also variable. Some aspects change very slowly, not changing over several generations. While other significant changes happen over a single generation. Thus, the task of a cultural semiotician to more accurately identify change trajectories becomes quite challenging. Hence, the hypothesis I worked with is that studying culture change in a single domain, but taking the long view would enable the researcher to identify the patterns and pathways of change – in terms of both the process/mechanisms and the meanings driving the change process. The assumption made is that groups of people in a cross-cultural encounter initiate a process of change, in pursuit not only of tangible gains but also for interpreting their actions in terms of story-telling and the resultant meanings. Once the trajectories are identified, it would be possible to see if they fit well and explain the changes taking place in the present too. The domain I studied, was Southern Indian classical music during a 250 year period from 1780 to the present. I chose classical music because it is central to culture and cultural identity. The time period was selected because ~1780, the British in South India changed their position from being traders to rulers. The Kings and Royal Courts of South India suddenly encountered western classical/military music as the music of the Imperial Power and this cross cultural encounter set in motion several trajectories of change. India has ancient systems of classical music which are thriving even today. There are 2 versions of classical music, the Southern and the Northern. While Indian classical music had previously encountered Islamic music and Northern music had been reshaped by its influence, Southern classical music had not been touched by the Islamic encounters. It was the encounter with the British as imperial rulers that set in motion multiple trajectories of change. My analysis identified seven distinct trajectories of change, each with its own process/mechanism and governed by a distinct meaning. These trajectories are Imperial Emulation, Adaptation, Experimentation resulting in fusions and hybrids, Partial Assimilation, Resistance, Complete Assimilation and New Movements. I found subsequently that the framework can be applied in contemporary contexts to map culture change. A contemporary situation where there are cross-cultural influences at work can be framed as a cultural encounter and the potential pathways of change identified. Any organization that wishes to be a change agent in society and to bring about culture change can use the framework to map possible pathways and to consider how to initiate and sustain the culture change that they wish to bring about.