Music and Youth
Sony Music Entertainment buys strategic stake in Infibeam
NEW DELHI: Sony Music has bought strategic stake in Infibeam Digital Entertainment (INDENT) with Infibeam holding majority stake in the company and Sony Music holding a 26 per cent stake post completion of transaction.
INDENT with its clear strategic focus will offer an attractive platform to large and medium music labels in India and internationally. Any music label or brand holding rights to content can use the INDENT platform to engage customers and monetize by distributing digital as well as physical content under their own brand with payment integrations.
Sony Music Entertainment President India and Middle East Shridhar Subramaniam said, “INDENT fills a need gap for all music rights owners. As the digital eco system keeps evolving, there has been a strong need for an independent technology company that music companies can partner with to build innovative services and offerings. Every content owner has aspirations to reach consumers and brands directly. INDENT empowers these labels with a scalable and commerce ready platform.”
Infibeam founder & CEO Vishal Mehta added, “INDENT continues to build state-of-the-art inclusive digital platforms powering music applications installed on millions of mobile phones and high quality experience to music lovers. It will enable brands, technology and music on common interface with innovative customer engagement models.”
Last year, Sony Music partnered with the new range of Sony Xperia Smartphones to launch ‘Sony Music Jive’ – a first of its kind music service that allows consumers to download and stream music from the Sony Music Catalog of two million songs, which was powered by INDENT. Post the successful launch of the Jive application on the Xperia smartphones in India, the same application was launched in Indonesia, North Africa and Middle East markets. The service was also extended to Sony VIAO laptops in 2013.
With large repository of music content, INDENT will continue developing applications for many large labels and brands with integrated Telco billing, OEM bundling and social platforms. Currently, INDENT offers its service to Sony Music, INRECO (The Indian Record Manufacturing Company), to name a few. INDENT is projecting revenues of $3-5million in current year.
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.
