Saregama


Saregama India Ltd formerly known as The Gramophone Company of India Ltd., is an Indian music record label and content company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is the oldest music label in India, established in 1901 as the Indian branch of the British Gramophone Company. It later became a part of EMI, and for several decades, used the His Master's Voice trademark on its releases. The first song recorded in India by Gauhar Jaan in 1902 and the first film made in Bollywood with sound Alam Ara in 1931 were under the music label.
In 1985, the company was acquired by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. Although the HMV trademark continued to be used until 2003, the licensing agreement with EMI ended that year. Saregama also distributed EMI's international releases in India during this period.
The company is involved in music publishing, film production under the brand Yoodlee Films, and the creation of multi-language television content. It also manufactures and sells Carvaan, a digital audio player pre-loaded with classic Indian music.
Saregama is listed on the National [Stock Exchange of India|NSE] and the BSE. Besides its head office in Kolkata, it has regional offices in Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi.

History

In 1901, the company began operations as the first overseas branch of the Gramophone Company, by recording the first song in India. It was incorporated in Calcutta as The Gramophone and Typewriter Ltd. The following year, Fred Gaisberg, assistant to gramophone record inventor Emile Berliner, arrived in India “on a mission to capture music”. On 5 January 1902, Gauhar Jaan became the first Indian artist to be recorded. In 1907, a record manufacturing facility was established in Dum Dum, Calcutta — the first of its kind outside the United Kingdom.
On 13 August 1946, the company was incorporated as a private limited entity under the name The Gramophone Co. Limited. It was converted into a public limited company on 28 October 1968, following which its name was changed to The Gramophone Company of India Limited.
From 1909 to 2003, the company retailed its music products—records, cassettes, and compact discs—under the His Master's Voice brand, using the iconic logo of a dog named Nipper listening to a gramophone. Even after EMI sold the company to the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group in 1985, Saregama continued to use the HMV name and symbol under a licensing agreement. This arrangement ended in 2003, when EMI divested the rights to the HMV trademark to the British retailer of the same name.
Saregama owns a music repertoire that spans film and non-film music, including Carnatic, Hindustani classical, devotional, folk, and other genres, in over 23 Indian languages. The first song recorded in India—by Gauhar Jaan in 1902—and the soundtrack of the first Indian talkie film, Alam Ara, were released under the label.
The company holds the rights to a growing number of films and over 6,000 hours of television content. It continues to expand its catalogue through new acquisitions across Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, and other regional languages. Its music is distributed on music streaming services including Spotify, Gaana, YouTube Music, Hungama, Apple Music, and others; on over-the-top video platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar, and ZEE5; and on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
As of 2024, Saregama's catalogue includes over 150,000 tracks. The company also holds the rights to the complete catalogue of M. S. Subbulakshmi, the first vocalist to receive the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. Its catalogue includes devotional music across multiple faiths—such as Hindu, Sikh, Islamic, and Christian—as well as a diverse collection of regional folk music.
In 2023, the company launched Saregama Talent, a vertical focused on artist management and promotion. That same year, it acquired a majority stake in Pocket Aces Pictures Pvt. Ltd., a digital content and influencer marketing company behind brands like FilterCopy and Dice Media. Saregama also announced a plan to invest ₹1,000 crore over three years to acquire music content across multiple Indian languages.

Saregama Carvaan

Saregama Carvaan is a portable digital music player launched by Saregama in 2017. It comes pre-loaded with a curated collection of 5,000 Hindi film songs, classical music, and devotional tracks from the company’s catalogue. The device features built-in speakers and also supports FM/AM radio, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Variants of Carvaan have been introduced in multiple regional languages, including Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali, and Marathi. The company has also released specialised versions such as Carvaan GO—a personal audio player pre-loaded with 3,000 Hindi songs—and Carvaan Mini Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, which includes an audiobook of the 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita along with devotional bhajans. In 2020, Saregama launched Carvaan Karaoke, which allows users to sing along with synchronised lyrics on a screen.

Yoodlee Films

Yoodlee Films is the film production division of Saregama India, launched in 2017 and based in Mumbai. The studio focuses on content-driven cinema across languages and formats, with a strategy centred on digital-first releases. As of 2024, Yoodlee Films has produced 30 films, several of which have been released on platforms such as Netflix, JioHotstar, and ZEE5.
Its film Hamid won two National Film Awards at the 66th [National Film Awards], including Best Feature Film in Urdu and Best Child Artist for Talha Arshad Reshi. At the 67th National Film Awards, actor Naga Vishal received the award for Best Child Artist for his performance in K.D.. The studio’s early releases like Ajji and Noblemen were also recognised at international film festivals.

Film discography

Hindi

Tamil

Malayalam

YearFilm
2021Kurup
2022Super Sharanya
2022Pathaam Valavu
2022Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan
2022Jo and Jo
2022Keedam
2022Priyan Ottathilanu
2022Ela Veezha Poonchira
2022Vamanan
2022Shefeekkinte Santhosham
2022My Name Is Azhakan
2022Chathuram
2022Padavettu
2022Kumari
2022Vivaha Avahanam
2022Romancham
2022Autorickshawkarante Bharya
2022Kaapa
2022Padachone Ingalu Katholi
2022The Teacher
2022Khedda
2022Bharatha Circus
2023Djinn
2023Ayisha
2023Ntikkakkakkoru Premondarnn
2023Jawanum Mullapoovum
2023Vaathil
2023Momo in Dubai
2023Bullet Diaries
2023Pendulum
2023Kasargold
2023AT - Welcome to The Dark Side
2023Pookkaalam
2023Enkilum Chandrike
2023Bhagavan Dasante Ramarajyam
2023Khajuraaho Dreams
2023Neymar
2023Within Seconds
2023The Great Escape
2023Pappa
2023Njaanum Pinnoru Njaanum
2023Asthra
2023RDX
2023Padmini
2023Nadhikalil Sundari Yamuna
2023Antony
2023Mr. Hacker
2023Nadhikalil Sundari Yamuna
2023Little Miss Rawther
2023Philip's
2023Bandra
2023Kadhikan
2024Anweshippin Kandethum
2024Malaikottai Vaaliban
2024Thrayam
2024Kadha Innuvare
20254 Seasons
2025Bazooka
2025-
2025-
2025-

Gujarati

Telugu

Assamese

Film content

Films produced: ''Abhiyum Anuvum''

Television content

Saregama produces content for TV channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. The company has created many serials and shows.
YearTitleChannelLanguage
2001SoolamSun TVTamil
2002VelanSun TVTamil
2004My Dear BhoothamSun TVTamil
2005Raja RajeswariSun TVTamil
2007-2008VepilaikariSun TVTamil
2007-2012AthipookalSun TVTamil
2010-2012Pondadi ThevaiSun TVTamil
2012-2019ValliSun TVTamil
2012-2014Pillai NilaSun TVTamil
2012-2017Bhairavi Aavigalukku PriyamanavalSun TVTamil
2014–2022ChandralekhaSun TVTamil
2018-2022RojaSun TVTamil
2019–PresentSevanthiUdaya TVKannada
2019-2020RojaGemini TVTelugu
2020-2024Anbe VaaSun TVTamil
2022–2026IlakkiyaSun TVTamil
2022 - 2024IniyaSun TVTamil
2024–PresentMangalyam ThanthunanenaSurya TVMalayalam
2024–PresentMalliSun TVTamil
2025–PresentAadukalamSun TVTamil

Web series

Bhairavi 2