Music and Youth
Sony Music’s Shridhar Subramaniam succeeds Ganesh Jain as PPL chairman
MUMBAI: Sony Music Entertainment president India & Middle East Shridhar Subramaniam has been unanimously elected as the chairman of Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) the by board of directors representing Saregama, Universal, Tips, Venus and Aditya Music.
Venus Worldwide Entertainment Private Limited chairman Ganesh Jain, who presided over PPL during one of the four most challenging years of the organisation.
Jain said, “It gives me great pleasure to pass on the baton to a stalwart in the music industry and I believe Shridhar with his unique ability and experience will steer the industry successfully into the next phase of expansion.”
“These are exciting times. The industry has great opportunities as well as challenges ahead and with the help of the Board and Management, I hope to bring a sense of optimism and inclusiveness to PPL and the industry and I am confident that we will collectively build the foundations for a strong future,” added Subramaniam.
Universal Music Group South Asia managing director Devraj Sanyal, Tips Industries managing director Kumar Taurani, Saregama India managing director Vikram Mehra and Aditya Music chairman Umesh Gupta expressed their support to Subramaniam.
President of Honour V.J. Lazarus, who spent the last 10 years at PPL will be concluding his long innings with the association in March 2016. Lazarus has a experience of 45 years in the industry, the first 35 as Universal Music Group India managing director and later chairman.
Lazarus said, “I will dedicate these final six months of my tenure to facilitate and support chairman Shridhar Subramaniam, the PPL Board and the Management through this transition.”
PPL was incorporated in 1941 and is the apex-licensing arm of the Indian music industry and administers Public Performance and Broadcasting rights on behalf of over 200 members, which include the leading music companies like Saregama, Sony, Universal, Tips, Venues, Aditya Music, Times Music, Eros and Music Today amongst others.
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.
