Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has formally launched direct operations in India, marking a structural shift in how the company will work in one of the world’s fastest-evolving music markets. Until now, Warner Chappell had operated in India through a sub-publishing model. With this move, it is stepping in directly, setting up its own on-ground presence for publishing in the country.
At the centre of this expansion is Jay Mehta, who has led Warner Music India as Managing Director since the label’s India launch in 2020. He will now head the newly established publishing division as well, taking on an expanded role that brings both recorded music and publishing operations under one leadership structure across India and neighbouring South Asian markets.
It goes beyond just another normal appointment by executives. It shows how the Warner Music Group is looking to create something that ties together the creation aspect of music, rather than keeping them as two different entities. From what has been communicated by the organization, they want to provide artists and songwriters a system where creativity and international distribution go hand in hand.
India’s music business has long been rich in songwriting talent, but the publishing side of the business has often remained less visible to the public than labels, streaming, or film music. Warner Chappell’s direct entry suggests that major global publishers increasingly see India not simply as a repertoire source, but as a market where publishing infrastructure itself deserves deeper investment.
This is how Mehta has articulated the strategy of this launch too. According to him, Indian songwriters are currently “world-class,” but what the direct presence does is reduce the gap between local creativity and worldwide exposure. According to him, it would be easier for the company to provide Indians with more facilities via this publishing model.
Warner Chappell’s global leadership also cast the India launch as part of a larger creator-first strategy. Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO, and Carianne Marshall, Co-Chair and COO, said the company sees not just an expansion opportunity, but a chance to help shape a publishing ecosystem that works better for creators by ensuring their music is heard, protected and rewarded. They also underlined their confidence in Mehta’s leadership as the company builds this presence.
Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl went a step further, describing India as a key part of the group’s global growth strategy. He said bringing recorded music and publishing together under Mehta’s leadership would create a stronger combined operation for creators and audiences alike, while also deepening the company’s investment in India’s creative economy.
Inside the organisation, Mehta will report jointly to Guy Moot and Lo Ting-Fai, President of Warner Music APAC, reflecting the importance of the new role across both the publishing and regional music business.
What makes this development important is not just the opening of a new office or division, but the message behind it. For years, India’s music conversation has largely been dominated by film soundtracks, streaming numbers and label deals.
Publishing has often remained the quieter layer of the business, even though it is fundamental to how songwriters are represented, monetised and connected to global markets. Warner Chappell’s direct entry changes that equation at least in intent: it puts publishing more firmly on the map as a growth story in India.
For Indian songwriters, the company is presenting this as an access story. For Warner Music Group, it is clearly an investment story. And for the wider music industry, it is a sign that India’s role in the global music business is no longer being viewed only through consumption or audience scale, but through ownership, rights, and long-term creative value.
Ultimately, it is all about infrastructure. However, not the type of infrastructure that will dazzle you; rather, the type of infrastructure that will mold your career through time. These include publishing logistics, copyright control, creativity facilitation, and international connections. By switching from sub-publishing to operating directly, Warner Chappell believes that India deserves such investment.
Whether or not that leads to an overall change in the publishing world remains to be seen. But it is obvious that Warner Music Group intends to have more impact in India, and it feels that having songwriters rather than just songs will form the basis of its future efforts.
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