Can Regional Music Build India’s Next Big Music Franchises?

Regional music in India is increasingly moving beyond the life cycle of a viral song. As Punjabi music demonstrates how a regional sound can evolve into a global artist, touring and entertainment ecosystem, other markets such as Haryanvi, Bhojpuri and Rajasthani are beginning to show similar potential.

The bigger question for the industry is no longer simply which regional song will become the next viral hit, but whether these markets can build repeatable music IPs, artist-led businesses and formats that can sustain audiences beyond a single release.

Vidhi Shah, Director – Marketing, Zee Music, believes the opportunity lies in turning the cultural equity of regional music into recurring properties.

“Regional music has already shown that it can create stars; the next step is to create franchises around that cultural equity. Punjabi music is a strong example, with artists such as Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Aujla demonstrating how a regional sound can build a national and global audience. Haryanvi music, too, has moved beyond local consumption, with artists such as Masoom Sharma and KD Desi Rock building strong recall around the genre,” Shah says.

She adds that Bhojpuri and Rajasthani music could also create distinctive IPs by building on their strong cultural and folk roots.

“The real opportunity is to move from a ‘one song at a time’ approach to building recurring properties,music-led shows, live formats, artist-led IPs and collaborations that audiences actively come back to. That is when regional music stops being just a content category and starts becoming a franchise,” she adds.

From a viral moment to an ecosystem

For Rabindra Narayan, MD & President, GTC Network, the distinction between a viral hit and a franchise is fundamental. According to him, the former creates a moment, while the latter requires an ecosystem capable of repeatedly generating value around artists and their music.

“A viral hit is a moment. A franchise is a system. Regional music has already proven it can create moments. The real question is who owns the system behind the moment,” says Narayan.

He points to Punjabi music as the strongest proof of this model. According to Narayan, the market did not become globally visible overnight but was built over several decades through the combined growth of artists, labels, live touring, films and television.

“Punjabi music cracked it first because it built the whole stack: artists, labels, live touring, film, and television all feeding each other. Diljit Dosanjh selling out stadiums across four continents did not happen because of one song. The road he walks on was paved by Malkit Singh, Daler Mehndi and the likes,” he says.

For Narayan, this historical continuity is important because it shows how regional music can develop into an exportable cultural product even before the arrival of streaming and social media.

“They took Punjabi music out of Punjab when there was no streaming, no social media and no diaspora tour circuit. They planted the seed, and it is bearing fruit today. Any regional market that wants a franchise, not a fluke, has to build that same stack over decades and own its IP,” he adds.

Punjabi sets the template

Punjabi music currently offers one of the clearest examples of how regional music can transcend language and geography. Artists including Diljit Dosanjh, AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla have built audiences well beyond Punjab, while Punjabi music has become increasingly visible across mainstream entertainment and live music.

Narayan argues that the opportunity now extends beyond individual artists to the creation of repeatable formats around the ecosystem.

“Punjabi is the proof of concept. Diljit, AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla are global touring brands with a language most of their audience does not speak. Sidhu Moose Wala’s catalogue became a franchise on its own, with an audience that outlives the artist,” he says.

He also points to awards shows, festivals and diaspora tours as examples of how regional music can develop into standalone entertainment IPs.

Haryanvi, Bhojpuri and Rajasthani eye the next phase

While Punjabi has established a global template, industry observers see different opportunities emerging across other regional markets.

Narayan identifies Haryanvi as one of the markets with ingredients similar to those that helped Punjabi music expand beyond its home territory.

“Haryanvi is next in line because it has the same raw ingredients Punjabi had twenty years ago: a fierce local identity, a young audience, and a sound that crosses state lines on its own,” he says.

Bhojpuri, meanwhile, brings a significant audience base, while Rajasthani music has an extensive folk repertoire that could potentially be developed for wider domestic and international audiences.

“Bhojpuri has scale that no one in Mumbai takes seriously enough, with an audience larger than most European countries. Rajasthani has the folk depth to become India’s world music export if someone invests in the packaging,” Narayan adds.

Shah similarly sees room for these genres to move from individual tracks to more structured music properties, particularly through artist-led IPs, live formats and brand collaborations.

The artist becomes the franchise

Perhaps the biggest shift is taking place at the artist level. Regional artists are increasingly looking beyond music releases and building businesses around their own audiences, from live shows and merchandise to sponsorships and content.

Narayan believes this marks a fundamental change in how music franchises are built.

“The biggest shift is this: the artists now own the franchise. From organising the shows and the lights to selling the tickets and the sponsorships, everything is handled by the artist’s own in-house divisions. The middlemen are gone. The artist is the label, the promoter and the brand. That is what a franchise looks like,” he says.

For regional music, therefore, the next growth phase may not be about producing more viral songs, but about converting audience attention into owned, repeatable and scalable ecosystems.

The opportunity is significant, but the path from a regional hit to a national or global franchise requires more than reach. It requires sustained investment, ownership of IP, live and digital extensions, artist development and the patience to build an ecosystem over time.

Regional music may already have the audience. The next challenge is building the franchises around it.