Avarna Jain

About

At a time when attention spans are shrinking and content formats are multiplying, Avarna Jain, vice chairperson, Saregama India Ltd, has been steering the nearly eight-decade-old company into spaces far beyond music. From digital content and creator ecosystems to luxury publishing and live experiences, the firm is betting on strong intellectual property (IP) that can travel across generations, platforms, and formats. The strategy appears to be paying off. Saregama reported its highest-ever quarterly Ebitda growth of 31% year-on-year in Q4 FY26. The firm has also expanded its footprint through new IPs such as Un-40, a youth-focussed festival, while strengthening its devotional content portfolio. On the media side, RPSG Lifestyle Media is building experiential platforms around brands such as Robb Report, The Hollywood Reporter India, and Esquire. One of the defining themes of the past year, Jain says, has been connecting with younger audiences. “The integration of platforms like Pocket Aces has strengthened our ability to participate in how Gen Z consumes culture today,” she says. At the same time, the group has deepened its focus on experiences and communities, culminating in the launch of the award show, The Honours, its first homegrown IP under RPSG Lifestyle Media. Jain believes the next phase of growth in entertainment will be shaped by creators, experiences, and ownership of IPs. “India’s creator economy is exploding,” she says. “We’re moving toward what I call a ‘Creator Nation’, where anyone can create, distribute and monetise content.” The company’s scale gives it an advantage. With more than 650 million digital touchpoints and a catalogue spanning over 180,000 songs, 70-plus films and more than 10,000 hours of television content, Saregama is positioning itself not just as a content owner but as a distribution powerhouse. Yet, amid rapid change, Jain remains focussed on a principle she considers non-negotiable: trust. “The most valuable thing in our business is trust, built over generations through music, storytelling and cultural relevance. Reputation compounds faster than capital and disappears faster too.” Jain is increasingly positioning RPSG Group’s media and entertainment businesses at the intersection of content, community, and commerce. For her, the future belongs to companies that can preserve cultural depth while finding new ways to engage audiences. And that, she believes, is where enduring value will be created. “The key is not to dilute culture for modernity, but to translate it,” she says.