Universal Music's Rajat Kakar is eyeing a 360 degree turnaround in the music industry

Overload and overkill - the side affects of Bollywoodisation of music. This was something Rajat Kakar noticed in a blink of an eye, and before anyone could spot it, he and his company decided to give mainstream commercial music a rest, and treat India like Europe. “A confluence of multiple countries where the real deal lies in the region,” says the MD of Universal Music India Pvt Ltd who ventured into the interiors of the country in search of real talent and real music. “We zeroed in on three regions - Punjab, West Bengal and Maharashtra, all rich in musical heritage,” the result saw Kakar and Co rope in Punjabi artists like Bohemia, Punjabi MC, Monica Bedi, Vikramjit Sahni, and now, king of bhangra, Malkit Singh. In town to release Malkit’s new album, Billo Rani and launch ‘Billo Rani Contest’ in Punjab along with Idea Cellular and UTV, Rajat talks about a unique talent hunt to discover the lead actor for “Billo Rani” music album, his days in Chandigarh, and his career spanning from Asian Paints, P&G, Sony and now Universal.

“I’m a mechanical engineer who did MBA and is now passionate about music and the entertainment industry,” Kakar sums it up running through days at PEC and UBS. It was with Sony Music that he redefined the norms of the Indian music industry, one which led Kakar from embracing challenges of the emerging environment in areas such as digital, artist management and merchandising to making Universal Music India Pvt Ltd a complete 360 degree entertainment company.

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