Warner Music Group has expanded its presence in India, officially launching Warner Music India (WMI).
WMI will be chaired by reputed executive Jay Mehta, who has been appointed managing director of the market. Mehta joined Warner of Sony Music India, where he was director of digital affairs for several years.
Before joining Sony, Mehta (photo) was regional director of the Reliance Broadcast Network, and also worked for Reliance Communications and UNINOT, the sixth largest telecommunications company in the world.
Mehta’s case at WMI will also cover the other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) markets – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka .
Based in Mumbai, Mehta will report to Alfonso Perez-Soto, Executive Vice President, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.
India is increasingly becoming a region of global importance for the world record industry, accelerated by the good performance of local streaming players such as Gaana and Jiosaavn, and the launch of Spotify on the market in February of l ‘last year.
“Music is a way of life here in India, a precious pillar of our culture. There are so many talent hungry for opportunity, and I look forward to signing and serving a wide variety of local art. “
Jay Mehta, Warner Music India (photo)
According to IFPI data, India – with a population of over 1.3 billion people – was the 15th largest recorded music territory in the world in 2018, generating $ 156.1 million for artists and labels. (IFPI figures for 2019 are expected later this month.)
In 2018, streaming revenue represented 69.7% of the total music market in India. In the same year, streaming revenues increased by 30.9%, driven by local services as well as by international players.
Mehta commented: “Music is a way of life here in India, a precious pillar of our culture. There are so many talent hungry for opportunity, and I look forward to signing and serving a wide variety of local art. The growing music audience in India will also benefit from this decision as we amplify not only our new rising stars, but also Warner’s global superstars. “
Perez-Soto said: “With a dynamic and vibrant music scene, India is a natural place for Warner to increase its presence,” it is a market that increasingly embraces the international repertoire, as well as to develop its own music scene beyond traditional Bollywood domination.
“Jay is a brilliant creative and commercial leader and we all look forward to supporting him and his team as he directs our efforts in this growing region.”
“Jay is a brilliant creative and commercial leader and we all look forward to supporting him and his team as he directs our efforts in this growing region.”
Alfonso Perez-Soto, Warner Music Group
The launch of Warner Music India is the latest proof of the rapid international expansion of WMG’s operations in a growing global record industry.
In the past 12 months, the company has opened new offices in Turkey and Peru, acquired labels such as Monsp in Finland and Forza in Slovakia, and announced a partnership with Chocolate City in Nigeria.
Sony Music India’s former Jay Mehta boss Shridhar Subramaniam was recently promoted to major in a new position based at Sony headquarters in New York – president, strategy and market development, Asia and the Middle East.
Sony is the largest major record company in terms of market share in India.
However, Universal Music India, led by Devraj Sanyal, is growing rapidly, especially in the world of non-cinematic music. Like Sony (and now Warner), UMG recently strengthened its position in India, announcing changes that have seen Vinit Thakkar promoted COO, in India and South Asia.Musical affairs in the world