THG India Marks One Year of Shaping Global Careers for South Asian Talent

The joint venture between The Hello Group and Sony Music Entertainment India celebrates a first year spanning more than 250 live shows, 68 artists serviced, 40 brand deals, major global collaborations and one of India's largest internationally collaborative songwriting camps.

MUMBAI, India, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- THG India, the talent management, live bookings and music publishing joint venture between The Hello Group and Sony Music Entertainment India, is celebrating the completion of its first year of operations.

Since commencing operations on August 1, 2025, THG India has worked to build a multidimensional ecosystem around South Asian artists and creators—connecting artist management, A&R, recorded music, live entertainment, brand partnerships, publishing and international collaboration.

During its first year, the company locked and serviced more than 250 live shows, serviced 68 artists and delivered 40 brand deals, establishing a growing footprint across India's music, live entertainment and commercial partnership landscape.

THG India's talent ecosystem spans established artists, emerging voices, songwriters, producers and premium live acts. Selected names whose work featured prominently during the year include Jonita Gandhi, Nikhita Gandhi, Raja Kumari, W.i.S.H., Arjun Kanungo, SHAI, Manasi Ghosh, Anjana Padmanabhan, Anirudh Suswaram, Mohammad Faiz, producer and artist AAKASH Ravikrishnan, multi-platinum producer duo BANX & RANX, and ONEmpire—alongside a broader roster of emerging talent currently in development.

Indian Talent on Global Records

Artists signed to THG India during its first year contributed to more than 50 distinct releases, spanning international pop collaborations, Hindi and regional film soundtracks, independent music, hip-hop, electronic music and contemporary Indian pop.

Jonita Gandhi strengthened her international crossover presence through three major global releases: 'Last Night On Earth' with Cheat Codes; 'Alibi Pt. 3' with Sevdaliza and its international collaborators; and 'Hello' in collaboration with Sigala and Leigh-Anne. These were complemented by an active slate of independent and multilingual film releases across the Indian music market.

Raja Kumari delivered a wide-ranging body of work across South Indian cinema, Hindi screen music, hip-hop and electronic music. She featured on 'Firestorm' from the Telugu film They Call Him OG alongside S.S. Thaman, Silambarasan TR and Deepak Blue, while also contributing to the track as a lyricist. The song was subsequently released in multiple language versions.

Her release slate included 'Revolver' and 'Everybody Knows' from The Ba***ds of Bollywood; 'Woh Ikka Hai' from Ikka; 'Kismat Ki Chaabi' from Rahu Ketu; and 'LA INDIA (KALKI Remix)'.

Producer and artist AAKASH Ravikrishnan secured a significant global credit as a producer on Chris Brown's 'Appreciate It', from BROWN (The Chocolate Edition). He also appeared as one of the primary artists alongside A.R. Rahman and Irfana on 'Rakkamma (Kuchi Kuchi Rakkamma)', in addition to releasing collaborative work including 'yin' and 'PRICE2PAY'.

W.i.S.H. continued expanding its contemporary Indian pop catalogue through its debut album, Sweetburn, and releases including 'Bolo Bolo', 'Ishaare' and 'Desi Girl'. The group also entered the Hindi film soundtrack space with 'Jag Se Laaj'.

The wider release slate included new music from across THG India's talent ecosystem, including Arjun Kanungo's 'DOBARA'; 'Na Marende', featuring Arjun Kanungo and Anjana Padmanabhan; Manasi Ghosh's 'Has Do Zara'; Mohammad Faiz's 'Eyes'; and further independent, playback and collaborative releases from Nikhita Gandhi, SHAI, Anirudh Suswaram and other artists represented during the year.

More Than 250 Shows Across a Growing Live Ecosystem

Live entertainment formed a central pillar of THG India's first year, with the company locking and servicing more than 250 shows across concerts, festivals, sporting events, university stages, corporate engagements, premium private events and weddings.

Among the year's major live highlights, W.i.S.H. supported global artist Akon during his India tour, alongside performances at Spotify RADAR, CORE and major university festivals.

Nikhita Gandhi performed across prominent sporting, music and cultural platforms, including an IPL fixture, World Music Day programming, Falcon Festival and the Miss Arunachal Silver Jubilee Grand Finale.

Raja Kumari appeared across stages including NMACC, the Women's Premier League and major festival properties, while Arjun Kanungo performed across sporting, university and festival platforms.

ONEmpire expanded THG India's presence within premium live entertainment through weddings, corporate engagements and public performances, including the band's appearance at CORE.

Together, these engagements reflected THG India's ability to operate across the full spectrum of the live business—from international touring and large-scale public performances to premium private entertainment and brand-led experiences.

Forty Brand Deals Across Music, Fashion and Culture

THG India delivered and serviced 40 brand deals during its first year, connecting artists with companies across fashion, beauty, lifestyle, technology, automobiles and youth culture.

Brands engaged across the company's commercial ecosystem included H&M, Westside, Crocs, FILA, Maruti Suzuki, Spotify, Redken, Maybelline, Noise, SHEIN, MINI, Budweiser, The League and JBL.

Artist-led partnerships included work involving Nikhita Gandhi with Kohler, Acer India and H&M; W.i.S.H. across Maybelline, Redken, Crocs, Westside, FILA and Shoppers Stop x HYBE India; Raja Kumari with Dove and Ray-Ban Meta; and Arjun Kanungo with Ethnix by Raymond and MINI.

These partnerships were designed not merely as endorsements, but as opportunities to connect each artist's identity, audience and creative positioning with culturally relevant brands.

Building One of India's Largest Songwriting Camps

One of THG India's defining first-year A&R initiatives was the creation of one of India's largest songwriting camps, built around Indian and international collaboration.

Conducted across 137 days and nine studio environments, the initiative generated 130+ original songs across eight genres, including pop, indie pop, house, dance, electronic music, hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeat and Afro house.

The camp brought together artists from THG India's ecosystem, including Jonita Gandhi, Nikhita Gandhi, Raja Kumari, Arjun Kanungo, W.i.S.H., SHAI and Mohammad Faiz, alongside Indian and international songwriters and producers.

Its creative network included collaborators such as Alawn, BANX & RANX, AAKASH, Karan Kanchan, SANJOY, Skylar Mones, Oscar Bell, Julia Gartha, Carlos Battey and Kyler Niko, among others, including THG's CEO, Taylor Jones.

Beyond the number of songs created, the initiative reflected THG India's larger A&R vision: to build sustained creative infrastructure through which South Asian artists, writers and producers can work with international talent, explore new genres and develop music for both Indian and global audiences.

Building Towards Year Two

"When we launched THG India, our ambition was never simply to build another artist-management company. We wanted to create the complete infrastructure around artists and creators—bringing together A&R, live representation, brands, publishing and genuine access to international opportunities."

"The first year has demonstrated both the depth of talent in India and the scale of what can be achieved when that talent is supported with long-term strategy and global connectivity. We have built the foundation. Year Two is about going deeper, creating more original music and building sustainable careers from India for the world."

— Taylor Jones, Founder and CEO, The Hello Group

As THG India enters its second year, the company will continue expanding its focus on original music, domestic and international touring, global songwriting and production collaborations, brand-led opportunities, artist development and premium live entertainment.

Upcoming plans include Anjana Padmanabhan's forthcoming EP, new singles from Arjun Kanungo, W.i.S.H, Jonita Gandhi, BANX & RANX, Nikhita Gandhi, Sanjoy, further international collaborations, expanded live initiatives and the continued development of emerging artists within THG India's ecosystem.

With its first year focused on establishing its team, creative infrastructure and commercial capabilities, THG India enters Year Two positioned to scale its work and create further pathways between South Asian talent and the global entertainment industry.

About THG India

THG India is a joint venture between The Hello Group and Sony Music Entertainment India, established to represent, develop and create global opportunities for artists and creators from South Asia.

Operating across talent management, live bookings, music publishing, A&R, artist development, brand partnerships and international collaboration, THG India combines The Hello Group's global entertainment network with Sony Music India's knowledge and experience within the South Asian music market.

Based in Mumbai and connected to The Hello Group's wider international network, THG India is committed to building structured, transparent and globally competitive careers for Indian artists, songwriters and producers.

Visit THG India at www.thehellogroup.in and @THGIndia on Instagram.