Saregama
Saregama India Ltd. is India's oldest music label and the largest in-perpetuity global owner of Indian sound recording and publishing copyrights, with 180,000+ songs across 14 languages. It monetizes its catalogue through B2B music licensing, Carvaan hardware, digital downloads, subscription apps, live events, film production, and artist management.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1902
- HeadquartersKolkata, India
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Saregama does
Saregama India Ltd., part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, is India's oldest music label (founded 1902) and the largest in-perpetuity global owner of both sound recording and publishing copyrights of Indian music. The company owns a catalogue of over 180,000 songs and 4,000+ hours of TV content across 14 Indian languages, with additional rights to pre-independence era recordings that no competitor can replicate. Headquartered in Kolkata with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Newark (USA), and Harrow (UK), Saregama is publicly listed on NSE and BSE and is a Nifty 50 constituent. The company operates as a multi-product media platform spanning physical hardware (Carvaan, Carvaan Mini, Carvaan Plug & Play, LP Vinyl), digital retail (saregama.com music store for MP3/HD downloads), mobile applications (Carvaan App at ₹299/year, Padhanisa, Bhakti, Classical), B2B music licensing (business.saregama.com), live events (Carvaan Live, UN40), film production (Yoodlee Films), artist management for 300+ artists, and youth-focused digital entertainment via majority-owned Pocket Aces (Dice, FilterCopy, Clout, Candid, Vital).
The company's technology stack is anchored by a GenAI-powered music video production capability that reduces production time from 10-12 days to under 3 days when applied to its legacy catalogue, supplemented by a dedicated AI-efficiency team focused on cost optimization and copyright infringement tracking across digital platforms. A December 2025 ₹325 crore investment in Bhansali Productions secures formula-based exclusive music rights to future Bhansali films (including 'Love & War'), and Pocket Aces plus the Finnet Media acquisition extend the company into youth digital content with hundreds of millions of followers of combined reach. The technology infrastructure is primarily application-layer AI for production efficiency and IP enforcement rather than proprietary model development.
Saregama generates revenue through six primary streams: music licensing and royalties (the core driver, growing 17% YoY in music segment revenue to ₹814.4 crore in FY26), Carvaan hardware sales (declining 24.66% to 55,000 units in Q4 FY26), artist management (more than doubled to ₹42.46 crore in Q4 FY26), Yoodlee Films production, direct digital music sales (₹0.99 MP3 / ₹2.49 HD), and app subscriptions. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce and retail with enterprise B2B licensing for films, broadcasters, telecom operators, brands, and streaming platforms. FY26 consolidated revenue was ₹985 crore with ₹207 crore net profit, and Q4 FY26 delivered a record ₹120.8 crore EBITDA at a 42% margin.
Saregama firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saregama
- Legal name
- Saregama India Ltd.
- Website
- https://saregama.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1902
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Saregama India Ltd. is India's oldest music label and the largest in-perpetuity global owner of Indian sound recording and publishing copyrights, with 180,000+ songs across 14 languages. It monetizes its catalogue through B2B music licensing, Carvaan hardware, digital downloads, subscription apps, live events, film production, and artist management.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Saregama industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music and Media Entertainment
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (51223), Record Production and Distribution (512250), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing) (MPAIABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Music & Audio Streaming Platforms (BPAMAJAC), Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights) (MPACAFAK), Rights Data, Metadata, Identifier & Repertoire Management (ISWC/ISRC/IPI, Matching) (MPAIAKAF)
Keywords
Where Saregama is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kolkata
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
Saregama business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Music Licensing & Royalties: Licensing of Saregama's 180,000+ song catalogue and publishing rights to streaming platforms, TV channels, films, brands, and telecom operators. Also includes caller tune licensing. This is the core revenue driver with strong IP-led monetization and 17-29% YoY growth in recent quarters.
- Carvaan Hardware Sales: Sale of Carvaan portable digital music players, Carvaan Mini, Carvaan 2.0, and Carvaan Gold 2.0 across Indian and international markets via saregama.com and Amazon. Q4 Carvaan sales declined 24.66% to 55,000 units.
- Artist Management: Saregama Talent and Exclusive Artiste divisions manage a roster of 300+ artists, generating revenue from performances, live events, and brand endorsements. Artist management revenue more than doubled to ₹42.46 crore in Q4 FY26.
- Yoodlee Films Production: Film production through Yoodlee Films, producing films for theatrical, satellite, and VOD platforms. Films include 'Malaikottai Vaaliban', 'Warning 2', 'Dilruba', and others distributed via Hotstar, Chaupal, and IMDb.
- Digital Music Sales: Sale of MP3 and HD audio tracks through saregama.com music store, covering Hindi films, regional films, devotional, classical, ghazals, and music videos.
- App Subscriptions: Carvaan Premium App subscription at ₹299/year, plus Padhanisa (music learning), Classical App, and Bhakti App generating recurring subscription revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Carvaan Hindi device priced at $99.99 for USA market |
| Subscription | Annual | Carvaan Premium App annual subscription at ₹299 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Music track downloads from ₹0.99 (MP3) to ₹2.49 (HD) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Music licensing for brands and businesses - quote-based |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Saregama product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Saregama India Ltd. monetizes the largest in-perpetuity global catalogue of Indian music (over 180,000 songs across 14 languages) through commercial music licensing to streaming platforms, film studios, telecom operators and advertisers; the Carvaan line of portable digital music hardware; a digital music store for MP3 and HD downloads; subscription-based music learning and devotional apps; live concert and event production; film production via Yoodlee Films; and artist management services for over 300 performers.
Product overview
Saregama India Ltd., an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company, operates as India's oldest music label and a multi-language content producer, offering a multi-product portfolio spanning physical music retail, digital downloads, hardware devices, mobile applications, music licensing, live events, film production, and artist management. The core offering revolves around its catalogue of over 180,000 songs across 14 Indian languages, supplemented by hardware products (Carvaan and Carvaan Mini portable music players; Carvaan Plug & Play; LP Vinyl records), software products (Carvaan App, Padhanisa music learning app), commercial licensing services, live event production (Carvaan Live, UN40), film production via Yoodlee Films, artist management for 300+ artists, and its recently acquired digital entertainment subsidiary Pocket Aces (with sub-brands Dice, FilterCopy, Clout, Candid, Vital). The company also holds significant in-perpetuity global sound recording and publishing copyright ownership of Indian music.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Carvaan: Portable digital music player with pre-loaded evergreen songs, available in Hindi and regional language variants
- Carvaan Mini
- Carvaan App
- Padhanisa
- Yoodlee Films
- Pocket Aces
- Bhakti App
- Classical App
Products and services
- Saregama Music Store
Quantifiable outcome
- Digital reach of 650+ million followers across platforms
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Saregama
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Saregama technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Saregama partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Vodafone IdeaminorVodafone Idea used Saregama's sound recordings for caller ringback tone (CRBT) services. In a May 2026 ruling, the Calcutta High Court held that Vodafone also needs separate IPRS licences for underlying musical and literary works, beyond sound recording rights — clarifying that Saregama does not hold authority to license the underlying works, only the sound recordings.
- Bhansali ProductionscoreSaregama invested ₹325 crore ($36 million) in Bhansali Productions, acquiring a 28% to 49.9% stake by October 2028. The deal grants Saregama exclusive rights to music from Bhansali's future films, aiming for long-term IP visibility and cost control. Bhansali Productions retains full creative control and IP ownership over its films. The investment is expected to be EPS accretive by FY27 and enables Saregama to exit its filmmaking business within 3-5 quarters. Bhansali's film 'Love & War' has a budget exceeding ₹425 crore.
- Pocket Aces Pictures Private Ltd.coreSaregama completed its acquisition of Pocket Aces Pictures Private Ltd., acquiring a majority stake (51.82% for ₹174 crore / $20 million, with plans to invest an additional $1.8 million to reach up to 92.61% ownership). Pocket Aces operates youth-focused digital entertainment brands: Dice (premium storytelling), FilterCopy (India's #1 youth pop culture), Clout (youth culture creators), Candid (honest youth conversations), and Vital (youth wellness). The acquisition extended Saregama's reach to the 18-35 demographic through short-video content and expanded its digital audience by hundreds of millions of followers.
- Novex Communications Pvt LtdcoreNovex Communications Pvt Ltd has been entrusted with the exclusive on-ground public performance rights of Saregama's sound recordings and music videos. This enables Novex to license Saregama's music for live events, venues, and public performances across India.
- Yoodlee Films Distribution Partners (Hotstar, Chaupal, AA Films, IMDb)coreYoodlee Films produces content distributed across multiple platforms: Hotstar for 'Malaikottai Vaaliban', Chaupal for 'Warning 2', and theatrical distribution through AA Films. IMDb provides ratings and discovery for all Yoodlee titles.
- Lijo Jose Pellissery and Regional Filmmakers (Yoodlee Films)minorYoodlee Films partners with acclaimed regional filmmakers including Lijo Jose Pellissery (director of 'Malaikottai Vaaliban'), Amar Hundal ('Warning 2'), and others to produce distinctive regional cinema distributed on OTT and theatrical platforms.
- Global Streaming Platforms (JioSaavn, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube)coreSaregama licenses its 180,000+ song catalogue to global and Indian streaming platforms. Managing Director Vikram Mehra stated the company is working with platforms to ensure no value is assigned to purely AI-generated content, and is also exploring licensing its catalogue for AI data training as a future monetisation opportunity.
- Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS)minorIPRS represents lyricists, composers, and publishers, asserting independent royalty rights over underlying musical and literary works embedded in songs. The Calcutta High Court confirmed IPRS rights are separate from sound recording rights held by Saregama, and telecom operators need separate IPRS licences — a ruling that affects Saregama's licensing arrangements with telecom operators like Vodafone Idea.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Saregama competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- T-Series: India's largest music label and film production house, also a Nifty-listed media company. Most directly comparable peer given overlap in Bollywood soundtracks, devotional music, film music publishing, and similar B2B licensing + D2C model.
- Times Music: Music label of Bennett Coleman & Co. (Times Group), covering devotional, ghazal, Bollywood and regional catalogues. Similar IP-led music publishing and licensing business in India.
- Tips Industries: Listed Indian music label with a strong Bollywood and Indi-pop catalogue, monetizing via streaming, sync licensing, and film music. Comparable business model and Indian music rights ownership focus.
- Zee Music: Music label of Zee Entertainment (now part of the merged ZEEL-Sony entity), focused on Bollywood film soundtracks and digital distribution. Strong overlap in film music rights acquisition and YouTube-led discovery.
Broad incumbents
- Believe Music: Global digital music company distributing and marketing catalogues across DSPs. Comparable as a tech-enabled distribution and rights management partner that Saregama could use or compete with for catalogue reach.
- Sony Music Entertainment India: Global major-label's Indian arm, licensing international and Indian catalogues to DSPs, films, and brands. Direct competitor for streaming licensing deals and a benchmark for music publishing economics in India.
- Universal Music India: Indian operations of the global music major, focusing on catalogue licensing, distribution, and artist development. Comparable on B2B licensing and publishing rights administration.
- Eros International (now Eros STX Global / merged entities): Indian film production and distribution company historically tied to music rights and Bollywood IP monetization. Comparable on film-music adjacency, though its recent restructuring has narrowed the overlap.
Regional players
- Aditya Music: Leading Telugu and Tamil music label with deep South Indian film music rights. Comparable regional music rights ownership and film-music-centric monetization model.
Emerging players
- Hungama Digital Media: Indian digital entertainment platform combining music streaming, video, and original content. Overlaps with Saregama's digital/app ambitions and competes for digital music consumer mindshare.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Saregama social profiles
Digital presenceSaregama financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saregama leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Saregama subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Saregama funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saregama M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saregama
What does Saregama do?
Saregama India Ltd. monetizes the largest in-perpetuity global catalogue of Indian music (over 180,000 songs across 14 languages) through commercial music licensing to streaming platforms, film studios, telecom operators and advertisers; the Carvaan line of portable digital music hardware; a digital music store for MP3 and HD downloads; subscription-based music learning and devotional apps; live concert and event production; film production via Yoodlee Films; and artist management services for over 300 performers.
Is Saregama a public or private company?
Saregama is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Saregama founded?
Saregama was founded in 1902. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Saregama based?
Saregama is headquartered in Kolkata, India, in the Asia region.
How does Saregama make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Music Licensing & Royalties are the primary driver. The others are carvaan Hardware Sales, artist Management, yoodlee Films Production, digital Music Sales and app Subscriptions.
Who are Saregama's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are T-Series, Times Music, Tips Industries and Zee Music. Broad incumbents are Believe Music, Sony Music Entertainment India, Universal Music India and Eros International (now Eros STX Global / merged entities). Aditya Music is listed as a regional player. Hungama Digital Media is listed as an emerging player.
Does Saregama have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saregama.
What industry is Saregama in?
Saregama's product category is Music and Media Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIABAB, Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing), with a secondary code of BPAMAJAC, Music & Audio Streaming Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51223 and its SIC code is 3652.