Warner Music India has announced an expansion of its strategic collaboration with the prominent Punjabi music consortium, Sky Digital, aimed at further strengthening their partnership and facilitating the joint development of a diverse artist roster.
Warner Music India has entered into a joint venture agreement with Sky Digital, a leading aggregator of Punjabi music content in India. This collaboration marks an evolution in their existing partnership, which was initiated in 2021, and now enters a more substantial phase of cooperation, with a primary focus on nurturing and managing musical talent.
Sky Digital India currently serves as the home for some of India’s most prominent Punjabi musicians, including Bir, Harnoor, Kaka, Mankirt Aulakh, Navan Sandhu, and Sunanda Sharma. The company manages premium Punjabi content-oriented YouTube channels boasting over 50 million subscribers and acts as an aggregator for releases from more than 50 Punjabi labels, as well as two leading independent Hindi labels.
Alfonso Perez-Soto, President of Emerging Markets and Recorded Music at Warner Music Group, elaborated on the strategic nature of this partnership, highlighting its capacity to directly nurture and advance the careers of artists. He underscored its potential to elevate Sky Digital’s artists to a global stage, aligning with their mission to introduce culturally rich Punjabi music to a worldwide audience.
Jay Mehta, Managing Director at Warner Music India, emphasized the surging global popularity of Punjabi music in recent years, partly attributable to the widespread Punjabi diaspora and its gradual integration into mainstream music markets. Mehta believes this collaboration provides an excellent platform for artists to amplify their global presence and envisages a scenario where Punjabi music can dominate international music charts.
Gurkaran Dhaliwal, Managing Director at Sky Digital India, expressed his enthusiasm for the agreement, characterizing it as a dynamic enhancement of their existing collaboration. He noted that their symbiotic relationship with Warner Music Group had already expanded their market footprint in India and augmented the popularity of their artists among a broader audience. With this joint venture, Dhaliwal envisions the elevation of homegrown talent to the pinnacle of global success, crafting internationally adored and acclaimed musical stars.
