Music and Youth
Universal Music and Qyuki launch CSR project for Dharavi
MUMBAI: Record label Universal Music and multi channel network Qyuki, which is co-founded by director Shekhar Kapur, musician AR Rahman and former Disney India MD – digital Samir Bangara have launched a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative titled ‘The Dharavi Project.’
This one-of-a-kind initiative will fund the expansion of the music and dance schools in Dharavi, Mumbai, which was established by Qyuki in March 2014. The school aims to discover fresh talent from Dharavi and nurture them through the programme and amplify them on a domestic and international scale via digital and traditional media.
Universal Music Group International chairman and CEO Max Hole said, “Music has extraordinary power and I am very proud to be here in Mumbai on behalf of UMG to help give these children an education in all aspects of making music. Whether we produce stars out of the programme or simply a lifelong love of music, we will have succeeded in giving them a start along the path of discovery of this beautiful form of expression.”
Universal Music will deploy funds towards basic infrastructure, rent, utilities and equipment for the students of the school. Through this initiative, the two partners aim to nurture home-grown talent and provide them with a platform to showcase their potential. To further enhance learning and exposure, Universal Music will periodically bring in prominent singers, musicians, choreographers and producers to mentor young artists from Dharavi, while Qyuki will amplify content via its digital broadcast network on a domestic and international scale.
Rahman said, “I am glad that this initiative we started at Qyuki last year is maturing into a platform that provides underprivileged children a level playing field with equal opportunity as their domestic and international peers.”
‘The Dharavi Project’ went live at a launch event in the heart of Dharavi in the presence of Rahman, Kapur and Hole along with Bangara.
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.
