Spotify Launches RADAR Malayalam, Names Haniya Nafisa As First Spotlight Artist

Spotify has expanded its artist development initiative RADAR with the launch of its first-ever RADAR Malayalam edition, reinforcing its commitment to supporting regional independent music across India.

The inaugural edition features Haniya Nafisa as its first spotlight artist. Her latest single, Nattamthiri, has been selected as the lead track on the newly launched RADAR Malayalam playlist, showcasing emerging voices from Kerala’s growing independent music scene.

The launch comes amid a surge in the popularity of Malayalam independent music, which is increasingly finding an audience alongside the state's well-established film music industry.

According to Spotify, consumption of Malayalam music on the platform has grown by more than 5,300% since its launch in India in 2019. The trend was also reflected in Spotify Wrapped 2025, where 12 of the Top 50 Malayalam songs were created by independent artists, highlighting the rising demand for original music beyond film soundtracks.

Commenting on the launch, Dhruvank Vaidya, Head of Music & Podcasts at Spotify India, said the company aims to provide emerging Malayalam artists with greater visibility and resources to help them build sustainable careers. He added that Kerala’s independent music community is producing a new wave of original artists whose work is resonating with audiences across India and internationally.

Introduced globally by Spotify, the RADAR programme has been active in India since 2020 and has previously launched dedicated editions for Tamil and Punjabi music. To date, the initiative has supported more than 100 emerging artists across the country through editorial playlisting, marketing support, content creation, and live performance opportunities.

Spotify said the programme has generated nearly 3 million new artist-listener discoveries between 2023 and 2025, with participating artists recording an average increase of more than 70% in monthly listeners.