Universal Music India on Monday said it will acquire a 30 per cent equity stake in film and digital content studio Excel Entertainment, valuing the Ritesh Sidhwani- and Farhan Akhtar-founded company at ₹2,400 crore.
The deal was announced in the presence of lyricist Javed Akhtar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The companies said the investment lays the foundation for a new strategic partnership aimed at accelerating Excel Entertainment’s growth while strengthening Universal Music India’s position in the Indian market.
Excel Entertainment has a strong track record in music, and as part of the agreement, Universal Music Group will gain global distribution rights for all future original soundtracks created for projects owned or controlled by Excel Entertainment.
Universal Music India will also distribute globally all future soundtracks from Excel-owned or controlled projects. The partnership will see the launch of a dedicated Excel music label, which will be distributed worldwide by Universal Music Group. Universal Music Publishing Group will become the exclusive music publishing partner to Excel Entertainment.
“At the heart of this collaboration is a shared belief in the power of music and storytelling. As Indian stories continue to resonate with audiences globally, Universal Music Group and Excel Entertainment come together in a truly creative and transformative alliance, one that unlocks fresh opportunities for artists and repertoire across music, film and emerging formats as India readies to carry its narratives to the world,” said Farhan Akhtar.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that it is a defining moment that signals global confidence in India’s creative economy, with Mumbai emerging as the place where the future is being shaped. He said that Mumbai leads with top creative minds, deep content capital and global-grade studios. Fadnavis added that government of Maharashtra focuses on enabling creativity with sustained global interest and from Dil Chahta Hai to Gully Boy, iconic stories to iconic sound, Mumbai is where India’s emotion finds a global voice.
Published on January 5, 2026
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.thehindubusinessline.com ’
