Music and Youth
‘MTV Beats’ to hit the Hindi music genre
MUMBAI: Viacom18 is all set to strengthen its youth and music portfolio with a 24X7 music brand ‘MTV Beats. MTV, a brand that defines pop culture, is also the brand that changed the way music was consumed. From introducing music television to India that defined an entire generation as the MTV Generation, to giving the country unforgettable shows such as MTV Unplugged, Coke Studio@MTV, Dewarists and MTV Spoken Word; MTV has always been the ultimate word on what young India likes to tune in to. With MTV Beats going on air soon, Viacom18 will now be offering its audience a one-stop destination for all their music needs.
Elaborating on the portfolio redesign, Viacom18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “MTV initiated India into the experience of pop culture, making it a socially and commercially successful phenomenon. Today the brand is synonymous with being reflective of the country’s youth – their preferences, beliefs, opinions, desires et al. This presents us with the unique opportunity to redesign our Youth and Music portfolio to take brand MTV into sharply segmented content buckets within the genre. We will now be offering 3 differentiated experiences from brand MTV – while the flagship channel will be focused on youth and branded content and MTV Indies will continue to cater to the indie subculture, now, on the digital platform; MTV Beats, our first 24X7 Hindi music channel, will replace MTV Indies on air, with an eye to take the MTV brand to a more mass audience.”
Giving a deeper insight this new music channel, Viacom18 youth and English entertainment business head Ferzad Palia said, “India loves its music, especially Bollywood music. With MTV BEATS, we aim to give our audience a 24×7 music companion who fulfils all their music needs through the day. This is a channel aimed at 15 – 30 year olds across urban and rural India, people who love music and often imagine their day having a sound track of sorts. To give our audience’s life a unique beat, we’re working on defining the week into mood based themes and curating our playlists accordingly, thereby making music viewing a more relatable experience.”
MTV Beats will predominantly focus on Bollywood music and will soon be available on air.
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.
