WAVES 2025: Music Industry Titans Chart Roadmap to Globalize Indian Sound

Mumbai: The third day of WAVES 2025 witnessed a high-energy and deeply insightful session titled “Taking Indian Music to New Heights”, where global music executives, policy experts, and celebrated artists came together to chart the future of Indian music in the global landscape.

Bringing together stalwarts from Bollywood, international labels, tech-driven rights management, and music publishing, the session served as a powerful convergence of creative vision and industry expertise. The dialogue covered everything from monetization and artist development to digital innovation and global collaborations.

Himesh Reshammiya, iconic music composer and singer, set the tone by calling WAVES 2025 a much-needed platform for today’s creators and collaborators. Sharing personal reflections, he highlighted how new-age platforms and social media have democratized access for emerging artists. Yet, he cautioned, “Talent alone isn’t enough—your music must be emotionally resonant and melodically strong to stand out.” He urged aspiring musicians to always be “industry-ready” with a polished portfolio.

From the global front, Kwee Tiang, Vice President at Universal Music, noted the rising global curiosity about Indian music. “We’re investing in Indian talent not just for domestic appeal, but for global stages. However, there’s a strong need to build a value-driven culture around music consumption in India,” he said.

Dr. Richard Gooch, Chief Technology Officer at IFPI, brought in the tech perspective, emphasizing the critical role of data, metadata, and copyright enforcement. “To scale Indian music globally, we need robust digital infrastructure and adherence to international standards,” he remarked.

Dinraj Shetty of Sony Music Publishing focused on empowering Indian songwriters and composers in the streaming economy. “Rights management is still an underutilized tool here. With the right contracts and global sync opportunities, Indian creators can finally earn what they deserve,” he said.

Vikram Mehra, Managing Director of Saregama, stressed the need for mutual respect between artists and music labels. “A thriving ecosystem requires both creativity and capital. Artists must be supported, but labels also deserve recognition for the financial risks they take,” he said. Mehra also called for government intervention on piracy, a subscription-driven economy, and supportive policy reforms.

Adding a macroeconomic perspective, Jay Mehta, Managing Director of Warner Music India, pointed out the disconnect between India’s fast-growing economy and its sluggish music industry revenues. “We have the world’s youngest population and a booming GDP, but music monetization lags behind. Consumers are willing to pay—but only for content that truly excites and connects,” he observed, advocating for genre diversification and global-local collaboration.

The policy angle was reinforced by Fernandes, who presented an industry-wide overview and advocated for rights protection, policy modernization, and deeper integration of digital tools.

The session was adeptly moderated by Scott De Mercado, an international music entrepreneur and consultant. His probing questions brought out rich insights, and he summed up the session with a rallying call: “Artists are the soul of this industry. If we build around their needs, the rest will follow.”

With global labels, legacy powerhouses, and digital innovators all looking toward India, WAVES 2025 has firmly positioned itself as a catalyst for India’s music industry renaissance, amplifying voices, ideas, and ambitions to take Indian music to the world stage.

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