iWorld
Story Ink, Locomotive Global Inc acquire screen adaptation rights for ‘The Making of Star India’
MUMBAI: India is getting its very own version of Mad Men on the life and times of the broadcasting world. The meteoric rise of Rupert Murdoch’s Star India during the satellite boom of the 1990’s will now be the base for an upcoming digital drama series. Locomotive Global and The Story Ink have acquired the screen adaptations for Vanita Kohli-Khandekar’s book ‘The Making of Star India’.
The book takes the reader through the fascinating journey of Star: how Rupert Murdoch bought Star TV, then a pan-Asian broadcaster, from Hong Kong businessman Richard Li, and its transformation over the years into one of the three largest media companies in India.
Story Ink founder Sidharth Jain and Locomotive Global co-founder Sunder Aaron will produce a 10-episode, multi-season, scripted drama series using the book as a base. The fictional series will be based on the heady days of Indian television, during the 90’s and 2000’s, rather than a literal translation of the book.
Jain stated, “Our aim is to create a global quality scripted series. A ground-breaking new show that will be akin to Mad Men meets Succession, and set in the roaring rah-rah early days of the Indian television industry of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.”
The on-screen adaptation will carry the audience on a journey through the meteoric rise and revolution of the Indian television industry. Jain and Aaron’s objective is to produce a premium drama series that will be made available to viewers via a global streaming platform partner.
Aaron commented, “We aim to pull the curtains back and present the story of Indian television in an unconventional and groundbreaking way that people around the world will find compelling to watch. Today more than ever before, viewers of premium drama series want to lose themselves in an authentic world they find fascinating and yet never knew existed.”
“As a teenager, I won awards for fiction; I found my profession in non-fiction. Now over two decades later a piece of non-fiction I have written is being used to create a drama series. Life comes full circle,” shared Kohli-Khandekar in a LinkedIn post.
One such show that has been previously attempted was TVF’s Thinkistan that explored the advertising industry in the 1990s.
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.
