Music and Youth
Pepsi MTV Indies to reach the audiences by 15 March: Aditya Swamy
MUMBAI: It’s set to change the indie scene in India. The announcement of the launch of the ambitious indie channel – Pepsi MTV Indies from the Viacom 18 group was made amid much fanfare last month. However, the launch date was kept a secret. Now, MTV India EVP & Business Head Aditya Swamy reveals that the channel may go on air pretty soon.
On the sidelines of the launch of MTV Films on Saturday, Swamy revealed: “The test run for Pepsi MTV Indies started on Monday, 3 March and will continue for the next two weeks.”
Continuing further, he said that in all probability the channel should reach the audiences by the weekend starting 15 March.
The feed for the channel is being beamed off from the satellite Measat 3. Swamy informs that all the operators are on board for the distribution of the channel. However, he didn’t reveal the pricing of the channel.
Talking about the content, Swamy stated that there are plans to use Pepsi MTV Indies as platform to discover independent artists, find their unique sounds, their independent music and their expose it to the mainstream audience of MTV. “For example, you will find Vishal Dadlani’s Pentagram on Pepsi MTV Indies, but the music of Vishal-Shekhar will be on MTV. Similarly, you will find The Raghu Dixit Project on Pepsi MTV Indies, but you’ll hear the compositions of Raghu Dixit for Bewakoofiyaan on MTV,” he said.
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MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
