Music and Youth
Can Saavn change the dynamics of radio in India?
MUMBAI: For a streaming service that began as a movie service in 2006 in the United States, Saavn’s decade-long journey and expansion involved not only systematic penetration to varied regions, but branching out to other forms of entertainment.
Saavn – in 2006 – licensed Bollywood films from India, and brought them onto cable platforms, such as Time Warner, Comcast and Cablevision, and ten years later, the ‘Spotify of India’ has executed unique ten original programming series catering to mainstream and niche audiences.
With personalities from radio, music, TV and other forms of entertainment associating with Saavn for the programming series, the entertainment ecosystem appears set for a re-imagining of its plans and strategies.
Saavn did not take long to amass an impressive user-base. With a heavy catalogue – understandably dominated by Bollywood songs – the US-based company focused on content tailor-made for mainstream Indian users, the company, today, possesses 20 million tracks in 13 different languages and has over 18 million monthly active users.
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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.
