Jay Mehta, Managing Director, Recorded Music and Publishing, India and SAARC, WMG
In a major consolidation of its South Asian operations, Warner Music Group (WMG) has officially launched Warner Chappell Music India. This strategic move sees the company transition from a sub-publishing model to a direct, full-scale presence in the region. Jay Mehta, who has served as Managing Director of Warner Music India since 2020, will now lead a unified powerhouse as Managing Director of both Recorded Music and Publishing for India and the SAARC markets.
By bringing publishing and recorded music under a single leadership structure, WMG is currently positioning itself as a “one-stop shop” for creators. Indian songwriters will now have exclusive access to WMG’s high-tech studios within its Mumbai headquarters—a localized infrastructure that WMG claims is unique among major music companies in the country. This integration is designed to streamline the creative process, allowing artists to manage their master recordings and compositions under one roof.
The launch arrives as India’s music economy hits a massive inflection point. According to recent CISAC data, domestic creator collections surged 42 percent year-on-year in 2024, reaching approximately $83.7 million. India is currently ranked as the 15th largest recorded music market globally by the IFPI. Crucially, the market is diversifying; while Bollywood once controlled 80 percent of digital consumption, it now accounts for less than half, as independent and non-film music continue to capture the majority of streaming growth.
To support this expansion, WCM India is deploying its full suite of proprietary technology. This includes Global Match, an AI-driven royalty matching tool, and the Pulse app, which provides songwriters with real-time visibility into their earnings and catalog performance. Jay Mehta noted that this direct footprint is intended to “bridge the gap between local brilliance and global opportunity,” ensuring that Indian songwriters receive the same sophisticated rights management resources as WMG’s international superstars.
This move is the latest in a series of high-stakes investments by WMG in the region. Over the past three years, the company has acquired a majority stake in Divo (a leader in the South Indian market), invested in the live events firm E-Positive, and secured massive distribution deals with Tips Music and Ultra Music India. By establishing a direct publishing arm, WMG is currently betting that the next phase of India’s growth will be driven by the ownership and management of intellectual property rather than just distribution.
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