Music and Youth
MTV Beats witnesses 50% growth in viewership as it turns 2
MUMBAI: India’s fastest growing Hindi music channel MTV Beats has completed 2 years as the channel continues to top charts amongst the music enthusiasts in India. Registering a growth of 50% in only a year (2+ HSM Week 45’17 vs Week 45’18) MTV Beats’ differentiated programming and innovative integrations have led it to emerge as the one-stop shop for Bollywood music.
“This year, MTV Beats has doubled its growth and engaged with a captive audience that includes 50% of TV viewing universe in India*. Despite being in a highly competitive category that offers little or no variety in content, the channel stood out for its interactive formats and well-crafted concepts. As we continue our growth strides, MTV Beats promises to be consistent in its offerings, continue the momentum and fuel up the joy that good music lends to our viewers.” Said Ferzad Palia, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18.
With an aim to trigger habitual viewing for Hindi music, MTV Beats constantly curated thematic playlists and varied programming offerings. The channel’s stellar property, ‘Baba Ki Chowki’ hosted by ace comedian Dr. Sanket Bhosale has garnered 250mn+ viewers with Bollywood biggies such as Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif doubling up the madness over 64 episodes. Further amping up the Bollywood quotient, MTV Beats has launched ‘Secret Side’, hosted by singer-performer Akasa, a show that taps into the hidden passions of celebrated musicians. Artists such as Mika Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Papon, Shalmali Kholgade, Shaan, Benny Dayal and Kanika Kapoor have already been a part of the show and have shared their ‘Secret Side’ unabashedly. Within a span of only 3 months, the show has garnered the attention of over 66mn viewers across the country. MTV Beats also pushed the envelope with India’s 1st live request show – ‘Merawala Song’, which was launched aimed solely at engaging the channels discerning viewers.
Taking the birthday celebrations a notch higher, MTV Beats launched – Swag Nights, a curation of 400 + Bollywood Nights across India, launched at Tamasha (Mumbai) to kickstart the #BeatsTurnsTwo celebrations, ensuring that you never run out of music and masti! The brand is also extending the celebrations to leading corporates, with mega parties in trade offices this month. Since MTV Beats appeals to those jinke blood mein hai beat, the brand has launched a blood donation drive in partnership with Indian Red Cross Society, urging consumers to support the cause.
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.
