Digital
Raga to Rock: Launching the My Music, My Rights campaign by IPRS
Mumbai: IPRS is set to launch its nationwide campaign, “My Music, My Rights,” through an engaging and insightful event titled, “Raga to Rock,” on 15 February 2024. This initiative seeks to spark a national dialogue on the inherent value of music and the necessity of supporting the creators and their creativity for a sustainable music industry.
Music holds an integral place in India’s cultural tapestry, with references to it found in ancient texts. Tracing back to ancient times, India’s profound musical heritage is deeply rooted in its sacred texts. Brahma, the creator deity, is credited with deriving music from the celestial chants of the Sāma Veda, symbolizing the heavenly world itself. Alongside Brahma, deities such as Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer, are revered as patrons of music, underscoring its intrinsic connection to spirituality and culture. In the divine pantheon, Sarasvati, the goddess of music and knowledge, occupies a central role. Consort of Brahma, she is depicted as being well-versed in playing the Veena, a stringed instrument, and is revered as the embodiment of artistic expression and wisdom.
While India’s musical heritage is celebrated worldwide, music creators and those envisaging a full-time career in music often face significant challenges in earning a sustainable livelihood from their craft.
According to the recent study by EY titled ‘The Music Creator Economy: The Rise of Music Publishing in India’, India generates over 20,000 original songs annually contributed by 40,000 music creators, directly or indirectly generating over INR 12,000 crore in revenues each year. However, many in their career as a creator find themselves grappling with financial challenges. Out of 500 creators surveyed, 87 per cent of respondents would have liked to make a living off their music alone, but only 60 per cent were able to do so. A majority strongly believed that they needed to learn more about music production and how to better monetise their music. Only 56 per cent of respondents had access to the equipment and infrastructure required to produce music. While India consumes more music per capita than the world average, it ranks 14th in recorded music revenues. In contrast, publishing revenues are ranked 23rd due to various issues like lack of legal clarity and consequently, low compliance. The significant disparity between the vast volume of music produced and the limited earnings of many creators within the industry, exacerbated by a widespread lack of understanding about the music business, underscores the urgent need to bridge this gap, a mission at the heart of the campaign.
The campaign “My Music, My Rights” seeks to bridge this divide by raising awareness and providing support to music creators across the nation. The report also highlighted that 33 per cent of music released, comprises regional content, indicative of India’s diverse musical landscape. Yet, challenges such as accessibility, copyright awareness, and publishing rights hinder the rightful recognition and compensation of artists. Through a series of workshops, and seminars, both online and offline sessions, amongst other activities conducted nationwide, IPRS endeavours to address these hurdles and empower creators to navigate the intricacies of the industry effectively.
The “Raga to Rock” event, scheduled on the auspicious occasion of Vasant Panchami, dedicated to the goddess Sarasvati, symbolizing music and knowledge, takes on added significance against the backdrop of India’s profound musical heritage. The program will feature enlightening narratives by eminent author, poet, actor, and film director Varun Grover and leading songwriter, film director, and IPRS board member Mayur Puri, shedding light on India’s rich musical heritage and its evolution to the present day. Additionally, a captivating musical drama, ‘Suro Mein Lipate Kisse’, curated by the very versatile writer and storyteller Ulka Mayur will offer a visual depiction of this musical journey.
Commenting on the initiative, author, poet, actor, and film director Varun Grover, present at the event said, “As we gather to celebrate the rich tapestry of Indian music at ‘Raga to Rock,’ it’s a poignant reminder of the profound impact music has on our lives and culture. This event is not just about songs and melodies; it’s a platform to ignite vital conversations about recognizing and supporting creativity and those behind the creation. Let’s harmonize our voices to elevate the value of music and nurture it as a cornerstone of our nation’s cultural identity.”
Sharing his views, IPRS CEO Rakesh Nigam mentioned, “As the music industry reaches new heights, songwriters, composers, and independent creators must be well-versed in their rights and equipped to build sustainable careers. At IPRS, we prioritize empowering music creators through education and expertise. Recognizing the rich musical heritage and the immense value of music in our lives, let’s acknowledge our collective responsibility as a nation to support, nurture and foster the music of our land towards a thriving and enduring future.”
The climax of the event will be the unveiling of the “My Music, My Rights” campaign elaborating its objectives and strategies through a short presentation. This launch event not only signifies a crucial step towards empowering music creators but also underscores the collective commitment to preserving and nurturing India’s diverse musical landscape for generations to come.
This exclusive event is specifically designed for music creators and professionals in the industry, providing them with valuable knowledge and resources to navigate today’s evolving landscape of music and royalties.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
