Managing Director, Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt. Ltd.
Chairman, Phonographic Digital Ltd. | Head – Music & Sound Sector, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
Atul Churamani Profile : Shaping India’s Music Business for Over Three Decades
With over three decades of leadership across A&R, publishing, label management, and policy, Atul Churamani is among the most respected figures in India’s music business. His work has shaped how the industry functions — from Indipop’s rise in the 1990s to the formalisation of publishing and metadata standards that define the sector today.
Recognised for bridging artistry, commerce, and governance, Atul has played a defining role in professionalising the Indian music ecosystem and aligning it with global best practices.
Career Highlights of Atul Churamani : From Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ to Indipop Revolution
Atul Churamani began his journey in 1987 with CBS Gramophone Records & Tapes (India) Ltd., later Sony Music India, curating international repertoire for Indian audiences. His early milestone — ensuring the simultaneous Indian release of Michael Jackson’s Bad — set a precedent for global-standard music marketing in India.
Through the 1990s, during his time at Magnasound and Virgin Records India, he became central to the rise of India’s non-film music culture, discovering and developing artists who defined the golden era of Indipop. Later, as part of Saregama India Ltd., Atul helped modernise one of India’s oldest labels — setting up its digital and publishing divisions at a time when such concepts were still nascent.
His work at Saregama also extended to global licensing and sync deals, including collaborations that saw Indian compositions featured in major international campaigns like Peugeot and Heineken, and sampled in the Black Eyed Peas’ Don’t Funk With My Heart.
Atul Churamani also pioneered Saregama’s foray into live entertainment, producing large-scale international concerts such as Rafi Resurrected (Sonu Nigam with the CBSO) and Remembering Nusrat (Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with the CBSO), bridging Indian music with global orchestral formats.
Leadership in Music Rights & Standards: IPRS, PPL, and BIS Metadata
Atul Churamani has long been at the forefront of rights management and policy. He has served on the boards of IPRS and PPL, shaping the frameworks that govern copyright, royalties, and licensing in India.
Today, as Head of the Music & Sound Sector at BIS, he leads India’s first initiative to standardise music metadata frameworks, placing India among the few countries with a national approach to music data governance. As Chairman of Phonographic Digital Ltd. (PDL), he continues to advocate for transparent and equitable digital revenue distribution.
Entrepreneurship and Advocacy
Through Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt. Ltd., Atul Churamani introduced international standards of music publishing and rights management to India. The company manages sub-publishing, sync licensing, and catalogue representation, reinforcing the value of publishing as a standalone business model in India.
Legacy and Vision for the Indian Music Industry
Respected as both a strategist and mentor, Atul Churamani has influenced generations of music professionals. His contributions — from modernising publishing and digital systems to creating national music standards — reflect a consistent vision: to build a transparent, innovative, and creator-centric Indian music industry.
