12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Pop goes India
Two decades, hundreds of chart-toppers, and a truckload of Grammys later, American hitmaker Savan Kotecha is hitting rewind—and heading back to his roots. He's written for Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, One Direction—and now, he's coming home to make pop dreams come true in India. The songwriter and record producer is setting his sights on something he's never done before: launching India's first global boy band. Kotecha is looking to inspire a whole new generation of Indian youth—by giving them the tools, stage, and spotlight to become international pop stars.
Born to Gujarati parents from Uganda and raised in the US, Kotecha has always carried a piece of India with him. Now, he's channelling that love through his company, Outwrite, co-founded with Aayushman Sinha (the force behind Indian talent firm Represent) and seasoned Artists and Repertoire executive Murtuza Gadiwala. Their goal? To build a 'global hub' for songwriters, producers, musicians, and engineers right here in India. Think: a support system for India's creative minds to thrive on a global stage.
Kotecha says the idea stemmed from noticing a visible gap in the Indian music industry where many stakeholders aren't aware of their rights and how music publishing works. 'There's a lot of talent in India. I want to encourage young people to get into music and to see themselves as new pop artistes that represent India rather than having to look outside the country for those people,' he says. This becomes an important move at a time when stolen songs, credits has been a pressing issue for the industry for many decades now.
