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MUMBAI: Divine Arts, Inc. entered into a strategic partnership with Saregama India Limited, India’s oldest music company. This partnership will enable millions of Indian music lovers to download music previously not easily available. The announcement was made on 5 may 2004.
There are millions of non-resident Indians spread throughout the world. This agreement offers this broad community easy and cost-effective access to music from their home country.
As computer usage and broadband internet access continue to increase yearly, computers and digital distribution will become the gateway to listening and purchasing music. In the United States alone there are more than 120 million internet users, and over 30 per cent of American home internet users have a high-speed broadband connection, says a press release.
“With this partnership, listeners can now personalize their music solution from Saregama’s vast catalogue. Digital distribution through the internet provides customers all over the world access to their choice of songs from our catalogue, which represents over 100 years of the finest in Indian music,” said Saregama managing director Dilip R. Mehta.
Divine Arts, Inc. will represent Saregama in licensing their extensive catalogue to streaming and download sites throughout the world. The company, which has established an international presence through its record label, is embracing the future of music distribution by offering its music digitally in the form of downloads and streaming media over the internet.
CEO Divine Arts Inc. Manu Kaushish welcomed Saregama as a key partner. According to him, “The future of music distribution is on-demand delivery using streaming media and downloads for instant access. The partnership with Saregama India Limited allows us to offer the largest and richest Indian music catalog to our digital distribution partners and promises a great database of music”.
RealNetworks will be the first company to offer digital music from the Saregama catalogue. The first of more than 30,000 top-selling songs will be available through the company’s rhapsody internet jukebox service and soon through the RealPlayer music store. Both services are available at http://www.real.com.
“We are thrilled to provide music from Saregama through our online music services,” stated RealNetworks’ rhapsody editorial staff executive editor Tim Quirk
He further added, “The addition of this extensive catalog will broaden our musical reach and introduce Indian music to a wider audience of online listeners”.
Divine Arts, Inc. works with content providers and large distribution channels to bring the music of the Indian subcontinent to a worldwide audience. It also caters to the needs of a new generation that downloads music from the Internet and listens to it on digital music devices.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
