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Universal Music Group acquires UK label Oriental Star Agencies’ complete catalogue
Mumbai: Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s one of the leaders in music-based entertainment announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase the catalogue of iconic UK-based South Asian record label Oriental Star Agencies (OSA Ltd). The deal includes all of the label’s recordings and where held, publishing rights.
A slice of over 50 years of South Asian culture and heritage, the catalogue comprises approximately 18,000 songs, concert and video recordings, featuring legendary and genre-defining Pakistani and Indian artists. The acquisition is another demonstration of UMG’s strategy to accelerate its growth in high potential music markets around the world. The Asian music market grew by 15.4 per cent in 2022 according to the IFPI, the record labels’ global trade body, with overall revenues from the region accounting for 22.9 per cent of the global market.
OSA Ltd is a UK-based label with strong local and international ties and a unique history. Founded in 1966 by Muhammad Ayyub and his brothers, who moved from Pakistan to the West Midlands in 1961, the label was borne out of Ayyub’s deep love for music and nostalgia for the music of his childhood. Initially approaching EMI to stock these titles, he went on to import records from Pakistan and India, as he sought to meet the demand of his local community who also craved the authentic sound of their motherland.
From these local community origins grew the most prominent South Asian record label in the UK. OSA Ltd can be credited with not only introducing authentic South Asian music to a British audience, but also playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the UK Bhangra genre and launching the careers of numerous significant British and South Asian artists.
Highlights in the catalogue include Malkit Singh (who became the top-selling Bhangra artist worldwide with nearly 5 million album sales), Bally Sagoo, Attaullah Khan and legendary GRAMMY nominated artist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who has recorded over 125 albums. In 2002, the music of OSA Ltd found a fresh audience when several label tracks were featured on the Bend It like Beckham soundtrack. In recognition of this trailblazing contribution to the South Asian music landscape, in 2014, Ayyub was awarded an MBE honour for service to broadcasting, Asian music and community services. In 2017 the OSA Ltd owners finalised a sale to Hi-Tech Music Ltd, another British record label with a strong history spanning 35 years.
The acquisition complements UMG’s current service offering and will help drive momentum for the South Asian music market, enabling local artists to reach the largest possible audience in the global community.
Universal Music Group executive vice president of market development Adam Granite said, “This acquisition of a hugely successful and iconic British-Asian label specialising in South Asian music will further increase Universal Music Group’s exposure to, and participation in, a fast growing and rapidly changing market. I am particularly pleased that Universal Music Group will become the next custodian of Oriental Star Agencies, a label that has played an unparalleled role in bridging the musical identities of the UK and South Asia, taking the unique sounds of its artists to a broad audience. We believe this catalogue has huge potential, and look forward to taking it to the next generation of music fans globally.”
(Chino) Mohammed Twaseen OSA Ltd said, “This is a momentous day for OSA and all our artists. Becoming part of the UMG family will turbo-charge our South Asian music, helping it to get in front of more music fans across the world. The past decade has seen a true global explosion of music from the region, and now, under UMG’s stewardship, the next decade promises to be even more exciting.”
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Reliance Retail FY26 revenue rises 11.8 Per Cent to Rs 3.7 lakh crore
Q4 revenue up 11.1 Per Cent, hyperlocal orders surge 4x, PAT steady
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail isn’t just ringing up sales, it’s ringing doorbells faster than ever. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) reported a steady FY26 performance, with growth powered by store expansion, a sharp surge in hyperlocal commerce, and consistent traction across grocery, fashion and jewellery. For the full year, revenue rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,70,026 crore. In the January–March quarter, revenue from operations climbed 11.1 per cent to Rs 87,344 crore, up from Rs 78,622 crore a year earlier.
Operating performance remained stable, with Q4 EBITDA inching up 3.1 per cent YoY to Rs 6,921 crore from Rs 6,711 crore. However, quarterly profit after tax held steady at Rs 3,563 crore. For the full fiscal, PAT grew 11.7 per cent to Rs 13,842 crore.
Expansion remained a key lever. RRVL added 1,564 new stores during FY26, while simultaneously scaling its digital and hyperlocal commerce play. The latter emerged as a standout, with daily orders surging more than fourfold year-on-year in Q4, underlining a clear shift towards faster, localised fulfilment.
In grocery, large-format stores maintained momentum, aided by festive demand and the expansion of Smart Bazaar, which crossed 1,000 stores. Promotional campaigns such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ delivered record results, with sales rising 26 per cent YoY.
Digital commerce also picked up pace. JioMart added 5.8 million new users in Q4, nearly doubling its registered base year-on-year. Hyperlocal orders grew 29 per cent sequentially and over 300 per cent annually during the quarter.
Fashion and lifestyle saw steady traction. Ajio recorded a 23 per cent YoY rise in average bill value, while fast-fashion platform Shein crossed 11 million app installs, scaling rapidly with expanding product lines.
The jewellery business added further shine, with average bill value jumping 53 per cent YoY, largely driven by rising gold prices and sustained consumer demand.
Commenting on the shift, RRVL executive director Isha Ambani said hyperlocal commerce has become a structural growth driver, with orders rising more than fourfold over the year.
Looking ahead to FY27, the company is betting on technology to deepen engagement. The focus, Ambani noted, will be on AI-led merchandising, sharper pricing strategies and disciplined execution turning scale into sustained customer value.
In short, the carts are fuller, the clicks are quicker, and the next phase looks less about reach and more about precision.
