Saregama
India's oldest recorded-music label and a major owner, publisher, and distributor of Indian music and audiovisual content.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Saregama is an Indian music and content company whose origins date to 1901, when the Gramophone Company established its first Indian operation. It is widely regarded as India’s oldest surviving record label. The business began by recording and manufacturing gramophone records and later became associated with EMI. For much of the twentieth century, its releases in India carried the His Master's Voice, or HMV, name and the image of Nipper, the dog listening to a gramophone. The HMV arrangement ended in 2003 after the relevant trademark rights moved away from the company. The company’s historical importance is tied to the documentation and commercialization of Indian music. Gauhar Jaan’s 1902 recording is recognized as the first recording made by an Indian artist, and Saregama’s historical catalogue includes music from Hindi and regional-language cinema, classical traditions, devotional repertoires, folk forms, and non-film recordings. Its collection spans more than 23 Indian languages and, according to company and reference descriptions, exceeded 150,000 tracks by 2024. It also holds substantial film and television rights, including the catalogue associated with prominent artists such as M. S. Subbulakshmi. Saregama’s activities now extend beyond physical recordings. The company licenses music to streaming, social-media, and video platforms, publishes and administers music rights, produces films through Yoodlee Films, and develops television programming in several South Indian languages. Its catalogue is distributed through services including Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Gaana, Hungama, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar, and ZEE5, subject to platform and territory arrangements. The company has also used consumer products to package archival music for audiences outside conventional streaming. Saregama Carvaan, introduced in 2017, is a portable audio player preloaded with curated collections of classic Indian songs and equipped with features such as speakers, radio, USB, and Bluetooth. Regional-language variants, Carvaan GO, devotional products, and Carvaan Karaoke broadened the format. This combination of heritage intellectual property, digital licensing, physical devices, film production, and television content positions Saregama as both a legacy record label and a diversified Indian entertainment-rights business. Saregama was acquired by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group in 1985 and remains listed on India’s NSE and BSE. Its principal office is in Kolkata, with regional operations in Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi. In 2023 it added artist management through Saregama Talent and acquired a majority stake in Pocket Aces Pictures, a digital-content and influencer-marketing company. The business therefore combines preservation and monetization of a century-plus catalogue with investment in contemporary creators, digital entertainment, and multilingual content.
History
Saregama’s history begins in 1901, when the British Gramophone Company opened its Indian branch. The enterprise was initially incorporated in Calcutta as The Gramophone and Typewriter Ltd. Fred Gaisberg, an associate of recording pioneer Emile Berliner, travelled to India to document local music. On 5 January 1902, Gauhar Jaan became the first Indian artist to make a commercial recording, an event that established the company’s enduring role in preserving Indian musical performance. In 1907, the company opened a record-manufacturing facility at Dum Dum near Calcutta. It was among the earliest such facilities outside the United Kingdom and gave the Indian operation the capacity to manufacture and distribute records locally. The business later became part of EMI, following the formation of Electric and Musical Industries in 1931. Its catalogue expanded from early vocal recordings into film music, classical music, devotional works, folk traditions, and regional-language repertoires. Its historical releases include material connected with Alam Ara, the first Indian sound film made in Bombay, released in 1931. The corporate structure changed during the post-war period. The company was incorporated as a private limited company in 1946 and became a public limited company in 1968, when it adopted the name The Gramophone Company of India Limited. From 1909 through 2003, its Indian releases were marketed under the HMV identity under successive arrangements. The HMV brand’s familiar Nipper logo became strongly associated with recorded music in India. Although the company was sold to the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group in 1985, it continued to use HMV under licence until the arrangement ended in 2003. After the HMV period, the business increasingly emphasized the Saregama name and the value of its underlying intellectual property. Its holdings came to cover film and non-film music in more than 23 Indian languages, together with television and film rights. As physical formats gave way to cassettes, compact discs, downloads, and streaming, Saregama moved toward licensing and digital distribution. Its music became available through major streaming and social platforms, while the company continued to acquire and administer rights in new regional-language catalogues. The company diversified further in the 2010s. Yoodlee Films, launched in 2017, gave Saregama a film-production arm focused on content-led projects and digital distribution. Films associated with the studio received festival recognition and National Film Awards, including Hamid and K.D. Saregama also developed television serials and shows in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. These activities broadened the company from a record label into a multilingual content enterprise. Carvaan, launched in 2017, became the most visible consumer-facing extension of the catalogue. The portable player combined a curated library of classic songs with built-in speakers, radio, and device connectivity. Saregama subsequently offered regional variants, Carvaan GO, devotional products, and Carvaan Karaoke. The strategy addressed listeners who valued familiar music and simple dedicated hardware, including audiences less dependent on smartphone streaming. In 2023, Saregama added Saregama Talent for artist management and promotion and acquired a majority stake in Pocket Aces Pictures. The move connected its legacy rights business with digital creators, influencer marketing, and online video. The company also announced a significant multi-year plan to acquire music content across Indian languages. By 2024, reference materials described its catalogue as containing more than 150,000 tracks. Saregama remains an active listed company within the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, with its business spanning music rights, publishing, streaming distribution, consumer audio, film, television, and digital content.
- 2023
Expansion into talent and digital creators
[1]Saregama launched Saregama Talent and acquired a majority stake in Pocket Aces Pictures.
- 2017
Carvaan and Yoodlee Films launch
[1]Saregama launched the Carvaan audio player and established Yoodlee Films.
- 2003
HMV licensing ends
[1]Saregama’s licensing arrangement for the HMV trademark ended, accelerating the company’s use of the Saregama identity.
- 1985
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group acquisition
[1]The company was acquired by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group while continuing to use the HMV identity under licence.
- 1968
Public-company conversion
[1]The company became public and adopted the name The Gramophone Company of India Limited.
- 1946
Private company incorporation
[1]The Indian company was incorporated as a private limited entity under the Gramophone Company name.
- 1931
EMI association begins
[1]The Gramophone Company became associated with EMI after the formation of Electric and Musical Industries.
- 1907
Dum Dum manufacturing facility
[1]A record-manufacturing plant was established at Dum Dum in Calcutta.
- 1902
Gauhar Jaan recording
[1]Gauhar Jaan became the first Indian artist to make a commercial recording, creating a landmark in Indian recorded-music history.
- 1901
Indian operations begin
[1]The Gramophone Company established its Indian branch, the origin of the business now known as Saregama.
Products and positioning
A heritage Indian music-rights and entertainment company that combines archival cultural assets with digital distribution, consumer audio products, film, television, and creator-led content.
Music rights and publishing · 1901
Saregama music catalogue
The company’s core asset is a large multilingual catalogue covering Indian film and non-film music, Hindustani and Carnatic classical traditions, devotional recordings, folk music, and regional repertoires. Saregama licenses and distributes this material through streaming services, video platforms, social networks, and other channels. The catalogue includes historically important recordings and rights associated with major Indian performers and film productions.
Consumer audio device · 2017
Saregama Carvaan
Carvaan is a portable digital music player preloaded with a curated collection of classic Indian songs. Its hardware includes built-in speakers and supports functions such as FM/AM radio, USB playback, and Bluetooth connectivity. The range has included Hindi and regional-language editions, reflecting Saregama’s effort to turn its archival catalogue into an accessible dedicated listening product.
Portable audio device
Carvaan GO
Carvaan GO is a personal audio-player format built around a preloaded Hindi music collection. It is designed for private, portable listening rather than the larger speaker-oriented use case of the original Carvaan.
Karaoke device · 2020
Carvaan Karaoke
Carvaan Karaoke adds sing-along functionality to the Carvaan concept, including synchronized lyrics displayed for users. It extends Saregama’s catalogue into participatory home entertainment rather than passive music playback.
Film production · 2017
Yoodlee Films
Yoodlee Films is Saregama’s film-production division, based in Mumbai and focused on content-driven cinema across languages and formats. Its projects have used digital-first distribution and have appeared on services including Netflix, JioHotstar, and ZEE5. Films such as Hamid and K.D. received National Film Award recognition.
Television production
Television content
Saregama produces multilingual television serials and shows, particularly for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam audiences. This activity complements its music-rights business by creating and owning audiovisual programming for regional television markets.
Artist management · 2023
Saregama Talent
Saregama Talent is an artist-management and promotion vertical created to develop and represent performers. It extends the company’s relationship with artists beyond catalogue licensing and into contemporary talent support.
Brand decisions
2023
Majority investment in Pocket Aces PicturesM&ABackground
Saregama pursued growth in digital entertainment and creator-led media beyond its traditional music catalogue.
Action taken
It acquired a majority stake in Pocket Aces Pictures, associated with digital brands such as FilterCopy and Dice Media.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened Saregama’s exposure to online video, influencer marketing, and digital creators.
2023
Planned investment in multilingual music contentStrategyBackground
Saregama identified catalogue ownership and regional-language rights as central to future growth.
Action taken
The company announced an intention to invest ₹1,000 crore over three years in acquiring music content across multiple Indian languages.
Aftermath
The plan indicated a continued shift toward expanding intellectual-property ownership and licensing scale.
Planned investment. ₹1,000 crore (Three years from the 2023 announcement)
2017
Launch of Saregama CarvaanProduct launchBackground
Saregama sought to make its heritage music library available through a simple dedicated consumer device as streaming adoption was changing music consumption.
Action taken
The company introduced a portable player preloaded with curated Indian music and equipped with radio and connectivity functions.
Aftermath
The Carvaan line expanded into regional-language, devotional, personal-listening, and karaoke variants.
Recent events
- 2023
Saregama creates Saregama Talent[1]
Product launch
Saregama launched an artist-management and promotion vertical intended to support talent development alongside its catalogue business.
- 2023
Saregama acquires majority stake in Pocket Aces Pictures[1]
M&A
Saregama acquired a majority interest in Pocket Aces Pictures, a digital-content and influencer-marketing company associated with brands including FilterCopy and Dice Media.
- 2023
Saregama plans expanded investment in Indian music rights[1]
Other
The company announced a plan to invest ₹1,000 crore over three years in acquiring music content across multiple Indian languages.
- 2020
Saregama introduces Carvaan Karaoke[1]
Product launch
A karaoke-oriented Carvaan product was introduced with synchronized lyrics and sing-along functionality.
- 2017
Saregama launches Carvaan portable music player[1]
Product launch
Saregama introduced Carvaan, a portable digital audio device preloaded with a curated selection of classic Hindi songs and equipped with radio and connectivity features.
- 2017
Saregama launches Yoodlee Films[1]
Product launch
The company established Yoodlee Films as a film-production division focused on content-driven cinema and digital-first distribution.
Sources9 sources
- 1Saregamaen.wikipedia.org
- 2Saregama official websitesaregama.com
- 3Saregama acquires 1500+ Telugu songs cataloguebusiness-standard.com
- 4Saregama launches a new Bluetooth speaker for kidsthehindubusinessline.com
- 5Saregama launches Carvaan GX01 earphones for Rs 1,599themobileindian.com
- 6Saregama launches Carvaan GX01 Earphones in Indiaequitybulls.com
- 7Saregama signs global licensing deal with Facebookfinancialexpress.com
- 8The Womb launches Saregama Carvaan’s first TV campaignindiantelevision.com
- 9સારેગામા કંપનીએ ‘સારેગામા કારવાં GX01’ ઈયરફોન લોન્ચ કર્યા, કિંમત ₹ 1,599divyabhaskar.co.in
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