Music and Youth
Women of Music India: India’s much awaited women in music community
Mumbai: The Women of Music India (WOMI) has officially opened its doors for membership. The foundation is a women-led community that aims to make the Indian music industry more accessible to women across the globe. In addition to artists across genres, WoMI also caters to the music workforce, from artist managers, executives, label heads to photographers, stylists, hair and make-up artists, journalists and more.
Set up with the goal of amplifying voices of women from the ecosystem and open the door for the next generation of women entering the music industry. The membership will be free of cost to all persons who identify as women. On 23rd November, they launched a campaign that has garnered support across the board with the first cohort of members including artists like Jonita Gandhi, Jasleen Royal, Kamakshi Khanna and business executives Preeti Nayyar (SVP- brand partnerships, Universal Music Group), Ankita Maheshwari (GM – people manager, Sony Music India), Shreya Khaladkar (comms lead, Believe).
Speaking about the need for organizations like WOMI, early supporter and member, rapper Raja Kumari said, “It’s time for the mic to be passed on and let women take the lead too”.
Another member of the community singer-songwriter Jasleen Royal expanded, “We should remove the barriers faced by women in the music industry, and that can only happen if we bring in more women ”.
Execs and professionals from the music industry have pledged their support to help members get access to an extensive community of professionals, early access to opportunities, job listings, mentorship programs, industry-led workshops, and events across the country for networking.
Universal Music Group Sr VP brand partnerships Preeti Nayyar said, “We’re pooling in our resources, ideas and experience to allow more women to obtain the skills required to join the industry”.
Bluprint co-founder, Sweta Ojha said, “This initiative gives us the chance to build a community that can support each other and get more women a seat at the table across all areas of the music business”.
As the Indian music industry is receiving more attention across global markets and continues to diversify, Women of Music India, is emerging as an outcome of this transforming landscape. With the purpose of making more voices in the industry heard, WoMI is a step towards change.
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.
