iWorld
IPRS celebrates 55 years with ‘Soundscapes of India – Gateway to the World’
Mumbai: On the occasion of its 55th anniversary, The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) has launched ‘Soundscapes of India – Gateway to the World’ in collaboration with MusiConnect India, scheduled from 31 August to 2 September 2024. Set against the backdrop of India’s bustling capital, New Delhi, the Global Music Summit will convene 11 international festival directors representing 13 world music festivals, alongside industry leaders, domain experts, and trailblazing creators from music industry to explore avenues for international collaboration, cultural exchange, and the immense potential to elevate India music and its creators onto the global stage.
IPRS’s recent journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, solidifying its role as an essential pillar for music creators and owner publishers. As the sole music copyright society representing authors, composers, and publishers, our commitment goes beyond rights management to actively creating opportunities that empower and elevate careers.
As India continues to emerge as a global music hub, garnering significant international attention, the global summit promises to be a platform for engaging discussions, networking and international collaboration. The conference will drive dialogues on global opportunities, preparing India for its next major leap in the international music market.
The three-day event promises key note speeches, insightful panels, networking, connect corners, and music showcase.
Event details:
Day one: Seminar & conference
Date: 31 August | Venue: India International Centre, New Delhi
Key note speeches, panels, fireside-chats, connect corner and networking
IPRS has announced the distinguished presence of IPRS chairman Javed Akhtar, DPIIT senior consultant IPR Dr. Raghavender GR, Believe managing director for India & Southeast Asia Vivek Raina, IEMA senior director at Dolby Laboratories Karan Grover, lyricist, author, film director, and IPRS board member Mayur Puri, and Turnkey Music & Publishing managing director Atul Churamani, alongside a host of other eminent speakers and industry leaders at the conference.
Sessions:
1 The time is now: Amplifying India’s presence on the global music stage
2 Navigating IP rights: Global insights and India’s evolving landscape
3 Digital resonance: Looking forward to the decade – shifting trends and global dynamics
4 Beyond borders: Exploring physical & digital frontiers – Insights and best practices in recording, publishing & live music
5 Tourism through music: A complete cultural experience – Case studies and trends
Days two & three: Music showcase and connect corner
Dates: 1 & 2 September 2024 | Venue: The Piano Man, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi
Performances by 15 outstanding artists and bands featuring the soundscapes of India. An eclectic showcase of India’s musical talent, representing a vibrant mix of musical genres and regional diversity.
This showcase serves as a catalyst for discovery, where the Indian talent will connect directly with 11 top class festival directors representing 13 leading international festivals to explore opportunities for future performances and cross-border collaborations. It aims to be a strategic networking and collaboration platform that bridges the gap between local talent and global opportunities.
International participation: 11 festival directors representing 13 leading international festivals from Poland, Hungary, France, Mongolia, Morocco, South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Slovakia, will be in attendance.
Commenting on the event, The Indian Performing Right Society CEO Rakesh Nigam said, “IPRS is glad to collaborate with MusiConnect India in creating global opportunities for India’s diverse talent across genres and geographies. Soundscapes of India – Gateway to the World, coinciding with IPRS’s 55th Anniversary, marks a new milestone in our long and impactful journey. It is poised to be a landmark event, not only envisioning the future of the music industry but also positioning India as a key player on the global stage. The global music conference on day one serves as a precursor to the two-day music showcase, where independent artists and music creators from various regions will present their work to top international festival directors.
At IPRS, we understand the crucial role that music plays in shaping our nation’s creative identity. This conference highlights the vast potential of our cultural heritage and reaffirms IPRS’s commitment to nurturing talent, fostering innovation, and creating meaningful opportunities for our creators. We are delighted to join forces with key stakeholders in the music industry, both in India and abroad, to chart a dynamic future for India’s musical talent.”
“Soundscapes of India aims to highlight the value of local, traditional, and independent music by unlocking its market potential on a global scale. This initiative aspires to create a platform that showcases the incredible diversity of Indian music, featuring both celebrated artists and those whose music are seldom heard. As an artist-driven venture, Soundscapes of India is committed to creating opportunities that benefit Indian music creators, connecting them with presenters and opportunities worldwide.”, added MusiConnect India founder director, MusiConnect Asia president, Global Music Market Network vice president Kaushik Dutta.
Secure your spot free of cost for the Global Music Conference on 31 August on Paytm Insider.
e-commerce
Visa report tracks rise of India’s affluent, experience-led spending
Affluent base doubles to 130 lakh, travel 58 per cent of elite spends.
MUMBAI: In India’s new luxury playbook, it’s less about owning more and more about living better. A new whitepaper by Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) maps a decisive shift in India’s affluent economy, where spending is becoming more intentional, experience-led, and closely tied to personal identity rather than pure income growth.
Titled India’s Affluent Economy 2025–2026, the report draws on a Visa-commissioned Yougov study and VisaNet data across travel, dining, retail and lifestyle categories. The headline number is hard to miss: individuals earning over Rs 10 lakh annually have nearly doubled from 69 lakh to 130 lakh, significantly expanding the country’s discretionary spending base.
But it’s not just about scale, it’s about behaviour. As consumers move up the affluence ladder, discretionary categories are taking a larger share of credit card spends, positioning cards as key enablers of premium, lifestyle-driven consumption.
The geography of wealth is shifting too. Affluence is no longer confined to metros such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, with cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur and Lucknow increasingly mirroring metro consumption patterns.
The report highlights a clear pivot from ownership to access. More than 50 per cent of affluent consumers now use cards for elite memberships, while 7 in 10 are drawn to limited-edition drops and curated collections. Increasingly, luxury is defined by seamless access be it concierge-led travel or curated dining where time saved is as valuable as money spent.
Spending patterns reinforce this shift. Among the ultra-elite, travel accounts for 58 per cent of discretionary spends, far outpacing retail and luxury combined at 28 per cent. Cross-border spending penetration stands at 63 per cent, signalling a growing global outlook among India’s affluent.
Closer home, indulgence is becoming routine. Nearly 4 in 5 affluent consumers dine at premium establishments at least three times a year, while 1 in 4 visit luxury venues more than five times annually. Dining spends are also climbing, with Rs 20,000 emerging as a new entry-level benchmark per experience and Rs 50,000 marking premium territory.
Retail, meanwhile, is becoming more selective. Three in four affluent consumers make a high-end purchase at least once a quarter, while one in four shops premium every two weeks. Luxury retail intensity is also rising, with 2 in 5 consumers spending over Rs 5 lakh annually, and a smaller but significant segment exceeding Rs 10 lakh.
Technology and wellness are carving out new roles in this ecosystem. High-end gadgets now see average spends of Rs 60,000 or more per purchase, while ultra-elite consumers are eight times more likely to visit spas and show five times higher engagement with cosmetic stores than non-affluent groups.
The broader takeaway is structural. Affluent consumers are no longer buying products, they are buying ecosystems. Integrated experiences across travel, dining, wellness and payments are becoming central to how this segment lives and spends.
As India’s affluent base expands beyond metros and aligns more closely with global consumption patterns, the real opportunity lies not just in size, but in speed. For brands, the message is clear: relevance will be defined by how early and how seamlessly, they plug into this evolving lifestyle economy.
