World Music Day Special: Industry Leaders Outline Roadmap For India’s Rise As A Global Music Export Powerhouse

As the global music business becomes increasingly interconnected, India finds itself at a defining crossroads. While the country has cemented its position as one of the world’s largest music-consuming markets, industry leaders believe the next challenge lies in transforming India into a formidable music-exporting nation.

On the occasion of World Music Day, Loudest hosted a thought-provoking webinar titled “Can India Become a Global Music Export Powerhouse?”, bringing together leading voices from artist management, music production, rights management, marketing, record labels and the broader entertainment ecosystem. The discussion explored a critical question: India consumes music at an unprecedented scale, but what is preventing it from becoming a global exporter of music?

The consensus was clear, India possesses immense creative potential, cultural richness and audience scale, but must address key challenges around artist development, infrastructure, monetization, rights awareness and global positioning to unlock its full potential.

Fandom Will Drive the Next Wave of Growth

According to Hamza Kazi, Head of Artist Relations & Development at The Hello Group India, India’s music industry is entering a transformative phase where artist fandom will become the primary growth engine.

“We are at a pivotal moment for the music industry,” Kazi said. “Historically, the business has relied heavily on Bollywood, brand partnerships, weddings and the corporate sector. The next wave of growth will come when labels, artists and the broader ecosystem fully recognize the power of fandom and learn how to unlock it.”

He emphasized that a stronger focus on building fan communities around artists could trigger a major cultural and commercial shift across the industry.

Building Artists, Not Just Hits

Music producer, composer and singer Abhijit Vaghani highlighted the urgent need for greater investment in artist development and creative infrastructure.

“One of the most important questions we need to ask is whether we have the right infrastructure in place to truly support artists,” Vaghani noted. “Beyond management, there needs to be a stronger focus on investing in the creative development of artists and nurturing their long-term growth.”

He stressed that sustainable success will come from building strong artistic foundations rather than focusing solely on short-term commercial outcomes.

Authenticity Is India’s Biggest Global Advantage

Veteran music director Shamir Tandon argued that India’s greatest export opportunity lies in its vast cultural and musical diversity.

“For years, people speculated that Punjabi music would lead the way, but I believe the opportunity is far broader,” he said. “Whether it’s Bihu, Baul, folk traditions from Gujarat or sounds from any corner of the country, India’s musical diversity is its greatest strength.”

Tandon believes international audiences are increasingly seeking authentic cultural experiences rather than Western imitations.

“They want our stories, our languages, our melodies and our cultural identity,” he said. “As long as we remain true to our songwriting, lyrics and compositions while presenting them with world-class production standards, Indian music has every chance of finding a global audience.”

He also called for a revival of artist-and-repertoire (A&R) culture, with greater emphasis on nurturing talent over the long term.

The Monetization Challenge Remains

While India leads in music consumption, Roochay Shukla, Head of Creative & International Marketing – India & South Asia at Believe, pointed out that monetization continues to lag behind.

“Consumption has grown exponentially, but monetization has not kept pace,” he observed. “India continues to have one of the lowest average revenues per user in the global streaming ecosystem.”

Shukla stressed that consumers must increasingly recognize the economic value of music by supporting artists through streaming subscriptions, live experiences and direct engagement.

“The paradox is clear: consumption is thriving, but sustainable monetization remains a challenge,” he said.

Music Must Be Recognized as Intellectual Property

From a rights-management perspective, Rumpa Banerjee, GM – Marcom & Member Relations at IPRS, argued that India’s next phase of growth depends on recognizing music as an economic asset.

“While we love and consume music at scale, we have yet to fully recognize and value it as intellectual property,” Banerjee said.

She highlighted the need for stronger copyright awareness, sustainable commercial frameworks and greater industry collaboration to support creators and build a thriving music-export ecosystem.

“The next global breakthrough could emerge from any corner of India, but artists need access to training, mentorship and international exposure to realize that potential,” she added.

Breaking Free from Bollywood’s Shadow

Marketing veteran Lloyd Mathias, former marketing head at PepsiCo, Motorola and HP, identified Bollywood’s dominance as one of the industry’s long-standing structural challenges.

“For decades, music has largely existed as an extension of the film industry,” Mathias said. “Artists and labels have often worked within movie narratives rather than building independent careers and fandoms.”

He also pointed to the lack of investment in live experiences and artist-led entertainment.

Drawing parallels with cricket, he noted: “If you look at what the IPL has done for cricket, it has transformed the sport into a meritocracy where talent from any corner of the country can rise to the very top. Music has not yet achieved that level of democratization.”

Mathias called for greater investment from brands, labels and experiential marketers to create stronger pathways for artist discovery and growth.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap

For Vikram Singh, CEO of DroomMusic Label, VirtualPlanet and DroomPlanet, one of the industry’s biggest challenges is the lack of awareness around music business fundamentals.

“Distribution today is just a click away, but understanding how to leverage that distribution and build sustainable revenue streams remains a challenge,” Singh said.

He also highlighted limited awareness around rights organizations such as IPRS and PPL, which continue to be underutilized by many artists and independent labels.

“Building knowledge and strengthening infrastructure are among the most important priorities for the future of the Indian music business,” he added.

From Consumption Market to Export Market

Brand and marketing leader Vitasta Kaul noted that India’s challenges are deeply interconnected, influencing how content is created and commercialized.

“Instead of investing heavily in a few high-quality, globally competitive projects, there is often a tendency to create larger volumes of content in the hope that some of it will succeed,” Kaul explained.

She pointed out that creating music for export requires a fundamentally different approach than creating content for domestic consumption.

“The distinction between creating for domestic consumption and creating for export is significant,” she said. “Products built for global audiences typically require greater investment, stronger infrastructure and a long-term vision.”

Kaul believes that as India’s live music economy continues to grow, the industry will be better positioned to address these foundational issues and expand globally.

Elevating Live Music and Celebrating Indian Roots

Singer and composer Shibani Kashyap brought the discussion back to the live music experience, emphasizing the need for world-class production standards.

“As a live performer, I believe one area where India still has significant room for growth is in the overall production value of concerts and large-scale music experiences,” Kashyap said.

She called for stronger support from brands and sponsors to help artists create globally competitive live shows.

At the same time, she stressed that India’s cultural heritage remains its strongest differentiator.

“Whenever I perform folk, classical or culturally rooted Indian music, the response is extraordinary,” she said. “These are the sounds, stories and traditions that make India unique, and they resonate deeply with audiences across borders.”

Reflecting on an international performance of Dama Dam Mast Qalandar in New Zealand, Kashyap recalled how audiences connected emotionally with the music despite language barriers.

“The more authentically we represent who we are, the stronger our connection with global audiences will be,” she added.

India’s Global Music Moment Is Within Reach

The discussion ultimately highlighted a shared belief that India’s emergence as a global music-exporting powerhouse is not a question of talent or creativity, but of ecosystem development.

From strengthening artist development and rights awareness to improving monetization, investing in live experiences and embracing cultural authenticity, industry leaders agreed that India possesses all the ingredients required to become a major force in the global music economy.

As digital platforms continue to erase geographical boundaries and global audiences increasingly seek diverse cultural sounds, the opportunity for Indian music has never been greater. The challenge now lies in aligning the industry’s infrastructure, investment and vision to ensure that Indian music not only dominates consumption charts at home but also resonates on stages, playlists and charts across the world.