MIB to launch centralised digital music licensing registry by October

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) will launch a Centralised Digital Music Licensing Registry by October 2025 in collaboration with rights societies. The move was finalised at the first meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on promotion of the live events industry, held on August 26 at the National Media Centre, New Delhi, under the chairmanship of MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju.

The meeting was attended by officials from the ministries of information and broadcasting, culture, youth affairs and sports, skill development and entrepreneurship, finance, and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), along with the Sports Authority of India. State governments of Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka were also represented.

Industry bodies including the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and International Live Events Association (ILEA), along with stakeholders such as BookMyShow, Wizcraft, Saregama, District by Zomato, and Touchwood Entertainment, joined the deliberations. Rights societies such as IPRS, PPL, RMPL, and IMI Trust were also present.

Among the outcomes of the meeting were the integration of live event approvals into the India Cine Hub Portal to simplify clearances, the creation of a model policy allowing multi-use of stadiums and public spaces for events along with promotion of greenfield venue development, and the inclusion of live entertainment skills in the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). The group also discussed financial incentives including GST rebates, blended finance models, subsidies, and MSME recognition for the sector.

In recent addresses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted the untapped potential of the live entertainment sector, calling it a driver of employment, investment, tourism, and cultural influence.

The JWG was set up in July 2025 on the directions of Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to bring together representatives of government, industry associations, rights societies, and leading event companies to shape India’s concert economy.

Jaju said the government is committed to positioning India among the world’s top five live entertainment destinations by 2030. The sector, he noted, has the potential to create 15–20 million jobs, expand infrastructure, and strengthen India’s global cultural footprint. The JWG, he added, will work in mission mode to harness the concert economy as a driver of infrastructure growth, employment, tourism, and soft power.

India’s live entertainment market, valued at ₹20,861 crore in 2024 and growing at 15% annually, is one of the fastest-growing segments of the media and entertainment industry. With rising demand across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, increasing music tourism, and premium audience experiences, the sector is becoming a critical pillar of the creative economy.

The JWG will meet periodically to review the progress of its sub-groups and present consolidated policy recommendations. Its work will build on the white paper India’s Live Events Economy: A Strategic Growth Imperative presented at the WAVES 2025 Summit.