Music and Youth
Grit, grooves and growing stars take centre stage as Spotlight hits season three
MUMBAI: From showroom floor to streaming charts, Hyundai is back to tuning India into fresh sounds. On 8 April 2025, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) rolled out season three of Hyundai Spotlight, its buzzing artist-first music platform powered in partnership with Universal Music Group for Brands (UMGB).
The goal? Take rising artists from playlists to primetime.
After clocking over 150 million YouTube views and delivering 12 original tracks in its first two seasons, the platform now welcomes a brand-new wave of sonic storytellers. This time, expect a six-track series featuring dynamic collabs between big-ticket names and breakout stars. Think Javed Ali, Aditya Rikhari, Gajendra Verma, Wazir Patar, DigV and more jamming with exciting young voices like Vidhya Gopal, Jeona Sandhu, and Ravator. The first drop, Koyal, is already out and turning ears.
“At Hyundai, innovation and customer experience are at the heart of everything we do. Hyundai Spotlight embodies this vision, creating a platform that blends talent with innovation to deliver unparalleled entertainment. More than just a stage, it is a movement that nurtures and empowers young Indian artists to express themselves through music. Hyundai Spotlight deeply resonates with our aspirational customer base, offering an unforgettable experience and fueling the dreams of an enthusiastic audience. Our collaboration with UMGB over the past two years has been incredibly rewarding, built on a shared commitment to excellence. As we launch the third edition, I am confident that this year will be an even greater success, driven by the energy and artistry of exceptional musicians across our great country,” said Hyundai Motor India Ltd whole-time director & COO Tarun Garg.
Since its launch in December 2021, Hyundai Spotlight has pushed boundaries by pairing emerging talent with industry icons for collaborative originals. What began as an auto brand’s foray into culture has become a legit launchpad for the country’s next musical legends.
“Artist-first is a motto that we at UMG have ingrained within our very fabric. It’s at the core of our business and with Hyundai, we have found the perfect partner to take this forward into the consumer space. The very thought of giving new emerging music talent a chance to collaborate with some of the most established names in the business, in order to create music that is at once relevant and resonates, is an exciting one. We have worked on this dream painstakingly now for over three years, spanning two seasons, and created an enabling platform for artists of all ages to express themselves. We applaud and we stand as proud collaborators with Hyundai on this journey, as we enter Season 3. I hope we continue on this path for many seasons to come,” said Universal Music India and south Asia chairman & CEO Devraj Sanyal.
The launch event in Mumbai didn’t shy away from star power either. Artists, creators, and fans showed up in full throttle, proving that Spotlight isn’t just a campaign — it’s a scene. With AI-generated acoustics, acoustic remixes, and genre-bending collabs promised, this season isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about playing it loud, proud, and unapologetically different.
What next? Five more original tracks, genre mashups, and possibly the next viral voice. Hyundai Spotlight isn’t just hitting play. It’s rewiring how brands, beats, and dreams collide.
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.
