UMG says that the agreement will ‘cut across film and non–film musical genres’, adding both new and established talent to join the label.
Vivendi-owned Universal completed its £1.2bn acquisition of EMI Recorded Music in September 2012, ingesting the huge catalogue and historic brand of the famous British-born music company.
However, it later had to divest Parlophone Label Group to rival Warner, which paid £487m for the privilege. UMG held on to The Beatles’ catalogue.
Devraj Sanyal Managing Director and CEO, Universal Music Group South Asia (pictured inset), said: ”We’re immensely proud of our new partnership with Mohit Suri to bring EMI Records back to India.
“Mohit has been responsible for some of the biggest Bollywood hits of all time and A&R is right at the heart of Universal Music so this collaboration is the perfect platform for blending our complementary strengths and our shared love of music.
“With EMI Records india we are creating a label to bridge the divide between film and non-film music.”
Devraj Sanyal, Universal
“Too often in India there has been a huge gulf between film and non-film music but now with EMI Records India we are creating a new label to bridge that divide and invest in artists across all areas of their careers from mainstream Bollywood cinema through to Universal Music India’s rapidly growing live, branded content, endorsements and merchandising businesses.”
Mohit Suri said: “Music and independent artists have been the backbone of my career ever since I started 10 years back. I strongly believe that the music composers, lyricists and singers that I have worked with from all over the world have been the stars of my life. This collaboration with Devraj and his team at Universal Music is the most organic synergy of like-minded people that allows me to continue exploring my love for music on a larger scale.
“With our joint expertise we will make EMI Records India a dependable brand through which we will launch and nurture musical talent and simply ‘let the music play’. Culturally, Music has always played an integral role in our lives, particularly through the Indian Film Industry popularly known as `Bollywood’.
“Now, armed with expertise in both businesses – music and film, EMI Records India will soon carve out its own space in the world of music and entertainment.”
Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd. (UMIPL) is a 100% subsidiary of the Universal Music Group (UMG) and is home to record labels such as A&M Records, Blue Note Records, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Emarcy, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records.Music Business Worldwide
