"Coke Studio Bharat Season 4 Is About Stories Rooted In India's Cultural DNA": Shantanu Gangane

From reviving folk traditions to turning regional stories into national conversations, Coke Studio Bharat has redefined how brands engage with music and culture. At the heart of this evolution is Shantanu Gangane, IMX (Integrated Marketing Experience) Lead at Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia.

In this interview with loudest.in,Gangane shares how Season 4 builds on the platform's legacy, why authenticity remains its guiding principle, and how Coke Studio Bharat is helping Indian artists connect with audiences across the world.

Here are edited excerpts:

Coke Studio Bharat has evolved significantly over the years. What is the defining vision behind Season 4, and how does it build on the platform's journey?

Music today isn't just entertainment; it's one of the most powerful ways culture moves. For brands, the opportunity isn't simply to show up in culture but to help create something consumers genuinely want to be part of.

That's the vision Coke Studio Bharat was built on. From day one, we've seen it as more than a music platform. It's a space where India's diverse sounds, stories and identities can find new audiences without losing what makes them unique.

Over the years, we've seen that belief come to life through songs like Khalasi, Holo Lolo, Meetha Khaara and Holi Aayi Re, tracks that brought folk traditions into contemporary conversation while earning global recognition, including Cannes Lions. More recently, Arz Kiya Hai is #1 on Spotify India Daily Charts and has spent over 340 days the charts, proving that when storytelling and fandom is authentic, its relevance can far outlast a typical release cycle.

Season 4 takes that journey a step further. The focus this year is on stories that feel deeply rooted in India's cultural DNA but speak to emotions that are universal. Through collaborations featuring artists like Rekha Bhardwaj, Mame Khan, Aditya Rikhari, Faheem Abdullah, Madhur Sharma and Mohammad Faiz alongside emerging voices from across the country, we're exploring themes of longing, memory, devotion and regional folklore.

Tracks like Ae Ajnabee and Bulleya Ve are inspired by timeless narratives, but they're being interpreted for a generation discovering music in completely new ways. This season, the goal isn't simply to preserve culture. It's to keep it moving forward. To ensure these stories continue to evolve, travel and connect with new audiences across India and beyond.

Season 4 puts a stronger focus on India's local stories and regional sounds. Why was it important to take the platform deeper into hyperlocal narratives?

Some of India's most powerful cultural stories are hiding in plain sight, in its languages, folklore, local traditions and everyday cultural rituals. Celebrating those stories has always been central to Coke Studio Bharat. From Holo Lolo, which celebrated Assamese identity and regional pride, to Bayo, which which brought the traditional Tutari back to the mainstream, and more recently Kachaudi Gali, inspired by the cultural fabric of Banaras, the platform has consistently created space for local stories to be experienced in their most authentic form. That authenticity comes not just from the artists we collaborate with, but from the lyrics, instruments, traditions and cultural nuances that shape every track.

Season 4 builds on this philosophy at a time when audiences are discovering music differently than ever before. Streaming and social media has made listening increasingly discovery led rather than geography led, allowing audiences to embrace music based on emotion and storytelling rather than language alone.

Our objective has never been to make regional stories more mainstream. It has been to present them authentically and create the right ecosystem for them to travel. Whether it's the Banaras inspired storytelling of Kachaudi Gali or the emotional landscape explored in Ae Ajnabee, these tracks demonstrate that stories rooted in a specific geography can create universal emotional connections.

Coke Studio Bharat seamlessly blends folk, Sufi, indie, hip-hop and contemporary music. How do you balance preserving authenticity while appealing to today's audiences?

For us, authenticity isn't something we balance against relevance. It's the starting point.

Today's consumers are incredibly aware. They are proud of their authenticity and cultural roots and can tell when something feels genuine and when it doesn't. That's why our approach has always been to give artists the freedom to tell stories that are deeply personal to them, while creating collaborations that help those stories find new audiences.

Hoor is a great example. Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami and Qaiser Nizami brought together perspectives shaped by the poetry, traditions and landscapes of Kashmir to create something that feels deeply rooted, yet emotionally universal. Similarly, Kachaudi Gali carries the spirit of Banaras in its storytelling, while Ae Ajnabee takes timeless emotions and presents them through a contemporary lens.

We're not trying to make folk music modern. We're helping great storytelling find new audiences. The goal is never to smooth out an artist's identity. The goal is to create a space where that identity can remain intact while connecting with listeners across languages, genres and generations.

Regional music is enjoying a major moment in India. How is Coke Studio Bharat helping regional artists find national and global audiences without losing their original identity?

We're living through a fascinating moment in music culture right now. Listeners are moving beyond language barriers and genre labels. They're not choosing music because it's regional or mainstream. They're choosing it because it helps them make an emotional connection. This shift has created incredible opportunities for regional artists as audiences are increasingly seeking authenticity over familiarity.

At Coke Studio Bharat, our role isn't to make artists more accessible by changing who they are. It's to create an environment where their language, culture and creative identity remain intact while reaching larger audiences. Every season brings together established custodians of musical traditions and emerging voices who represent the next generation of storytelling.

Whether it's spotlighting artists like Thanu Khan, giving artists like Ashok Maskeen a national stage through Bulleya Ve, or collaborating with artists such as Khwaab and Utpal Udit on Kachaudi Gali, the focus remains the same: preserve the authenticity, amplify the appeal.

In today’s discovery led ecosystem, we believe that the more deeply rooted a story is in its own culture, the more universally it can resonate. 

This season also marks Coke Studio Bharat's move into live experiences. What inspired this strategic expansion beyond digital?

Music has always been about shared experiences. While digital platforms have helped people discover stories and artists in remarkable ways, live experiences create a different kind of connection, one that's immediate, emotional and collective.

Over the years, Coke Studio Bharat has evolved into more than a music platform. It has become a community of artists, fans and culture enthusiasts who share a deep appreciation for storytelling through music. As that community grew, it became clear that audiences wanted more than a screen-based relationship with the platform.

Coke Studio Bharat LIVE is a natural extension of that journey from screen to stage.

It creates an opportunity for people to experience these stories together, to see artists perform in real time, to feel the energy of regional sounds, contemporary collaborations and cultural traditions in a way that digital alone can't replicate. At the same time, live experiences create moments that continue to live online through fan communities and social conversations, allowing the cultural impact of those experiences to travel even further.

For us, it's not about moving from digital to live. It's about creating a richer ecosystem where both experiences strengthen each other.

Audience listening habits have changed dramatically in recent years. How has this shift influenced the way Coke Studio Bharat curates its music and collaborations?

The biggest change we've seen is that discovery today is no longer linear.

People discover music through streaming platforms, short-form videos, creator communities, playlists and cultural moments. A listener can move from a folk track to hip-hop to Sufi music within minutes, without thinking about genre boundaries.

Rather than changing what we create, that shift has reinforced what matters most. Authenticity remains the strongest driver of connection. The challenge today isn't creating music for an algorithm. It's creating music that people care enough about to share, revisit and make part of their own lives.

That's why our collaborations continue to focus on bringing together artists who broaden perspectives and create unexpected creative intersections. The goal is to create music that feels culturally meaningful first. When that happens, discovery follows naturally.

Looking back at the platform's journey, what do you consider Coke Studio Bharat's biggest cultural impact on India's music ecosystem?

The biggest shift Coke Studio Bharat has helped drive is proving that India's regional stories and artists can become global conversations.

For a long time, regional languages, folk traditions and local cultural narratives were often seen as niche categories within the broader music industry. What we've seen over the years is that audiences don't see them that way. When presented authentically, these stories have the ability to travel across states, languages and even countries.

That impact can be seen in several defining moments. Nearly a year after release, Arz Kiya Hai continues to resonate with listeners, reaching the top of Spotify's India charts and entering Spotify daily global charts as well. Ishq Bawla became one of Instagram's most-used audio tracks, generating millions of creator-led interpretations. Holo Lolo inspired a wave of regional pride and earned recognition at the state level in Assam. Khalasi & Bayo, were celebrated globally at Cannes Lions for diversity and inclusion in music.

Collectively, Coke Studio Bharat has generated over five billion views across platforms. But the most meaningful impact goes beyond numbers. It's helping reshape the way people think about Indian music. Regional languages and folk traditions are no longer viewed as alternatives to mainstream culture. Increasingly, they are becoming the mainstream.

If there's one thing the platform has demonstrated, it's that authenticity and scale are not competing forces – authenticity is what creates scale. In today's cultural context, the more authentic a story is, the farther it can travel.

What are some of the biggest highlights and milestones audiences can look forward to in Season 4?

Season 4 represents an exciting new chapter for Coke Studio Bharat, not just because of the music being released, but because of how the platform itself is evolving.

This season introduces a new generation of stories, artists and collaborations while expanding into live experiences through Coke Studio Bharat LIVE. Together, these developments create new ways for consumers to engage with the platform, whether they're discovering a song online or experiencing it in a live setting.

The response so far has been incredibly encouraging. Ae Ajnabee has crossed 26 million views on YouTube, Bulleya Ve has surpassed 18 million views, Kachaudi Gali has crossed 15 million views and Hoor continues to connect with listeners across platforms. More importantly, these songs have sparked conversations, fandoms and emotional connections that extend well beyond the initial release.

What excites us most is what these songs represent. Each release is part of a larger effort to celebrate India's extraordinary musical diversity through regional storytelling, unexpected collaborations and contemporary interpretations of traditional sounds.

As the platform continues to grow, the ambition remains the same: to create space for authentic voices, help them travel further than ever before, and ensure that India's rich cultural heritage continues to inspire new generations of artists and consumers across the country and around the world.