The British are coming to India again. Sony Music India is opening up the Indian market to independent U.K. labels thanks to a recent agreement between the label and the British Phonographic Industry that will allow Sony to release in India albums by individual acts as well as compilations.
SMI managing director Shridhar Subramanium says the deal covers many U.K.-based independent labels and includes a variety of genres, with the first releases under the pact due in the next few months.
“The genres that we will initially examine and market are dance and rock music,” Subramanium says. “We will start with compilations and based on the success, we will review the artist-marketing possibilities.”
The agreement came about after representatives of the British body held meetings with various labels on a recent visit to India, eventually choosing Sony as a partner in the project.
Subramanium notes that the basic idea of the deal is to “offer avenues for the independent labels to give their talent exposure in new markets. And for us, it provides an access to new and interesting ideas that are emanating from the creative hothouses of the U.K.”
