Music and Youth
Zee Music mulls Mid-east foray; to change profile
MUMBAI: In a bid to drive growth, Zee Music is all set to create space in the south Indian market by tweaking its programming to suit local tastes. Besides, the channel is exploring a foray into the Middle-East market by the end of 2005 with a dedicated localised feed.
Zee Telefilms sources confirmed that the Middle East foray is definitely on the drawing board as part of an expansion plan to not only have a wider presence outside India, but also to attract local advertisers of the region.
“As and when the plan is put in place, Zee Music will sport a different look for the Middle East region from what is seen in India. The customisation will include local programming too,” a source close to the development said.
This move relating to Zee Music is on the lines of Zee Network announcing last year the launch of a dedicated Zee TV beam for Singapore, apart from further extending its South East Asia beam to include Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. Such moves offer viewers of various geographical regions outside India to watch television shows at their local time and not on a deferred basis coinciding with Indian standard time.
At the moment, Zee Music’s global footprint exists only in the UK where the channel beams as a free-to-air channel. The music channel’s offering ranges from Bollywood to Bhangra and from Asian pop to remixes. The outline of the channel has been designed to include programming such as Upbeat, Jus’ Bhangra, Sorted, Mint and Mutz Cutz to target the Brit-Asian youth.
Meanwhile, Zee Music, primarily showcasing Hindi film and non-film music, is also attempting to expand its viewership base in the non-traditional and non-Hindi speaking markets of South India.
The music channel would be introducing English music to cater to the south market. Zee Music business head Bharat Ranga confirmed this proposed move, but did not specify other programming details.
These days the channel banks heavily on interactive live programmes such as Suniyo-re and Please Tho Play.
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.
