Saregama Strengthens Regional Presence With NAV Records Acquisition
Saregama, one of India’s oldest music labels, has acquired the music catalog of NAV Records, a leading Haryanvi and Punjabi music label based in Delhi.
As of July 17, Saregama announced this venture through a filing to the Indian Stock Exchange sans disclosing the financial terms of the deal.
This deal marks a major milestone for the regional music scene, bringing over 6,500 tracks across Haryanvi, Punjabi, Ghazal, Devotional, and Indie Pop genres, along with YouTube channels NAV Haryanvi and Nupur Audio—together reaching 24 million subscribers—into Saregama’s digital ecosystem.
NAV Records, founded by Pulkit and Kshitij Gupta, is one of the largest and most popular Haryanvi music catalogs. Bridging the gap between tradition and the industry, they have created an ecosystem for singers such as Ruchika Jangid (“Coca Cola”) Hansraj Raghuwanshi (“Parvati Bole Shankar Se”) and Khasa Aala Chahar (“Loot Liya”), who have earned a whopping 900 million, 500 million, and 400 million views on their respective music videos via YouTube.
The acquisition comes after Saregama completed the purchase of the remaining shares it didn’t own in digital entertainment company Pocket Aces Pictures in August 2024. The label had first acquired a 51.8 per cent stake for INR 1.66 billion, with an option to buy an additional 41 per cent within 15 months. Last year, it acquired the remaining 48.2 per cent stake for INR 2.09 billion, taking the total investment to INR 3.75 billion, according to the Economic Times.
As of FY25, they have already acquired 22 music labels, bringing over 170,000 songs, across 7 languages, to their burgeoning content library, positioning them as key leaders in the entertainment and IP industry. Previously, the Indian music label has also partnered with Audiomack, a digital streaming platform, bringing Bollywood and regional tracks to a global listener base. Likewise, they had also partnered with Spotify in 2020, a year after it removed the company’s catalog in India post the copyright infringement suit brought against it by Saregama.
With this mammoth acquisition, it opens a plethora of opportunities and pathways for regional musicians, creators and producers concerning Punjabi and Haryanvi content creation. This further cements the Indian music label as a key player across leading regional markets. Moving forward, NAV and Saregama strive to jointly work towards creative partnerships, collaborations and strategies, especially distinctive music IPs that span languages and genres.
For fans of Haryanvi and Punjabi music, this venture extends their musical access to an integrated, diverse sphere from a North-Indian cultural standpoint. Furthermore, this ensures that regional language segments get their deserved recognition in the music industry. This venture marks the era of regional music’s steady ascent, opening possible ventures for artists and businesses alike.
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