iWorld
Planet Marathi OTT dominates the Marathi entertainment market in 2022
Mumbai: In 2022, Planet Marathi owned the Marathi entertainment space with breakthrough content, OTT innovations, and business integrations. Planet Marathi OTT, being the only OTT that exclusively streams Marathi content worldwide, dominates the Marathi OTT market.
Planet Marathi is currently streaming across 60+ countries, amassing nine lakh Marathi audiences across the world.
The content slate voraciously expanded throughout the year with releases like Anuradha, Badlee, Mein Punha Yein, Raanbaazaar, Sahela Re, June, Sumi, Athang, and Baby on Board, to name a few. A massive variety of genres like romance, comedy, family drama, politics, crime, thriller, and satire were explored in the Marathi web series category, which changed the game for Marathi content in the web space entirely.
Planet Marathi OTT pushed cutting-edge content into the mainstream spotlight with national award-winners like Sumi and the world’s most watched Marathi web series like Raanbazaar and Athang. With the best quality Marathi content, the immense capability it holds to shape the future of the regional OTT space was well demonstrated.
On the theatrical release front, Planet Marathi has brought to life a variety of cinematic spectacles, right from experimental content to period drama magnum opus films, by investing in high production values and marketing efforts. Its extravagant releases of 2022 have names like Pondicherry, Tamasha Live, Sunny, Chandramukhi, and Goshta Eka Paithanichi, among others.
The phenomenal branding efforts pushed boundaries and redefined the way films from the Marathi industry were viewed much before their release. This year was a national award-winning year for Planet Marathi, as its Goshta Eka Paithanichiwon the best Marathi and premiered internationally in Singapore.
Along with its large-scale investment in production value, branding, and marketing efforts, Planet Marathi expanded its reach vertically and horizontally through impact-driven business collaborations with mega players. Its collaboration with Tata Play, set precedent as it was among the only few OTTs that joined hands with the content distribution giant to reach out to audiences more conveniently. It has entered into upcoming international and local collaborations, which are in the announcement pipeline.
“We started Planet Marathi to disrupt the Marathi entertainment industry and take it to a global audience. With a quality content slate like big theatrical releases of Chandramukhi and national award-winning Gosht Eka Paithanichi, to name a few, and the Planet Marathi OTT platform and its content like Raanbaazaar, Athang, and Anuradha, among others, we were able to raise the bar for the industry. These victories have humbled us even more and made us hungrier to do bigger and better work of value. This is not just our win; it is the win of all the people who have worked with us across teams and the win of our audiences. Looking ahead, we’ve envisioned and are working toward greater technology, massive productions, and significant collaborations to accelerate our growth in this journey,” commented national award winner and Planet Marathi OTT founder Akshay Bardapurkar.
iWorld
Warner Chappell Music launches India ops, Jay Mehta to lead unit
WMG shifts to direct model, unifying publishing and recorded music
MUMBAI: Warner Chappell Music has officially launched direct operations in India, marking a strategic shift by parent Warner Music Group to deepen its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing music markets.
The move replaces the company’s earlier sub-publishing model with a full-fledged, on-ground operation, aimed at giving Indian songwriters stronger access to global networks, rights management tools, and creative infrastructure.
To lead the push, Jay Mehta has been handed an expanded mandate. Already serving as managing director of Warner Music India, Mehta will now oversee both recorded music and publishing across India and neighbouring South Asian markets, effectively bringing the two sides of the business under one roof.
The unified structure is designed to streamline how artists and songwriters work with the company, offering a more integrated ecosystem that spans compositions, recordings, and global distribution.
Warner Music Group managing director, recorded music and publishing, India and SAARC Jay Mehta said, “India’s songwriters are world-class, constantly redefining genres and pushing creative boundaries. By establishing a direct footprint for Warner Chappell, we’re bridging the gap between local brilliance and global opportunity.”
The timing is no coincidence. According to CISAC, creator collections in India jumped 42 per cent year-on-year to Rs 7 billion in 2024, while IFPI ranks India as the 15th largest recorded music market globally. At the same time, the industry is undergoing a structural shift, with independent and non-film music gaining ground over traditional Bollywood soundtracks.
Warner’s bet is that a direct presence will help it capture this changing dynamic. The company is also offering India-based creators access to its proprietary tools, including AI-powered royalty matching systems and real-time analytics platforms, aimed at improving transparency and earnings visibility.
Warner Chappell Music co-chair and CEO Guy Moot said the move is about shaping a publishing ecosystem that “works for creators and ensures their music is heard, protected, and rewarded everywhere.”
Meanwhile, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl underlined India’s importance to the company’s global strategy, noting that the new structure creates a “unified powerhouse” for both creators and audiences.
With local studios, global reach, and tighter integration across its business lines, Warner is clearly doubling down on India. And as streaming habits evolve and independent music rises, the company is positioning itself to be not just a participant, but a key architect of the country’s next music chapter.
