London-based South Asian culture platform Dialled In has launched Dialled In Records with The Collective, an A&R imprint within Universal Music Group U.K.’s Island-EMI, as first reported by Variety’s Naman Ramachandran.
This formalises Dialled In’s expansion into recorded music after five years of operating across live, touring and artist development, with the UMG partnership providing global label infrastructure.
Among the first signings is Excise Dept, a New Delhi- and Mumbai-based collective working across electronic music, rap and multilingual vocals. Their inclusion points to a deliberate focus on artists based within the subcontinent, not just diaspora markets.
For India, where independent electronic and alternative scenes remain fragmented and lightly serviced by major label systems, this kind of access is still limited. The deal places an India-based act within an international label framework without requiring relocation.
The other launch signing is Ahadadream, a Karachi-born, U.K.-raised producer with growing visibility in the British club circuit. His debut single “Bass Dhol,” featuring Skrillex and Raf Saperra, sets the early direction for the label.
From platform to label
Co-founder Dhruva Balram has positioned the label as an extension of the network Dialled In has built over the past five years. The platform has programmed across venues and institutions including Glastonbury Festival, the Barbican Centreand the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The label follows that groundwork, adding a recorded music layer to an existing audience and artist pipeline.
What the partnership indicates
The structure points to an imprint-style relationship focused on A&R and development, with UMG handling scale.
For India, a few clear signals emerge:
- India-based acts are being signed directly, without relying on diaspora entry points
- Alternative and electronic-led projects are finding international pathways
- Cultural platforms are beginning to function as A&R pipelines for major labels
India’s independent sector has expanded across distribution and live, but direct integration into global label systems remains limited. Setups like this sit between distribution deals and traditional signings, combining development with international reach.
The label will be marked at Dialled In’s fifth anniversary festival in London on May 30, a multi-venue event expected to host around 3,000 attendees.
