Warner Music India Partners with SkillBox to Enter Live Entertainment

Warner Music India has announced a strategic minority investment in SkillBox, marking its entry into the live entertainment and ticketing industry. This move broadens Warner Music India’s portfolio, combining its expertise in recorded music with SkillBox’s established platform for live events and artist management. With this collaboration, Warner aims to expand opportunities for its artists, enabling them to connect with audiences through live events, while offering fans enhanced experiences in music.

SkillBox was co-founded by Anmol Kukreja and Sandip Ranjhan, along with key team members Roydon Bangera and Amarjeet Singha. Originally a ticketing platform, SkillBox has grown into a full-fledged live entertainment company providing ticketing, live brand solutions, and live tech services through its platform, SkillBox Pay. Additionally, SkillBox has an artist management division, LevelHouse, which represents popular Indian acts like Parvaaz, Blackstratblues, and Parekh and Singh.

With this investment, Warner Music India will be able to offer its artists access to new platforms to reach a broader audience and engage fans through streamlined ticketing and live events. This expansion aligns with Warner Music India’s artist-first, fan-first approach, ensuring both artists and audiences benefit from a more accessible and dynamic live music scene.

Jay Mehta, Managing Director of Warner Music India and SAARC, emphasized the strategic alignment of this partnership, stating: “Investing in SkillBox blends perfectly with Warner Music India’s goal to be an artist-first, fan-first company.” He highlighted that SkillBox’s innovative approach to live entertainment resonates with Warner Music’s vision of offering comprehensive services to its artists. “As live entertainment is set for rapid growth in India,” Mehta added, “this partnership enables us to create new and exciting opportunities in the country’s fast-growing entertainment market, ensuring that our artists thrive on the best platforms available.”

Alfonso Perez Soto, EVP of recorded music and corporate development at Warner, echoed these sentiments, noting, “India’s live entertainment industry is still in its nascent stage but has tremendous potential for growth.” Warner’s investment in SkillBox is expected to provide seamless services for both domestic and international artists, giving them a stronger platform to reach their fans across India. Perez Soto added that Warner is eager to tap into India’s high-growth market, using SkillBox’s established network and expertise to enhance its position.

SkillBox’s CEO and founder, Anmol Kukreja, expressed his excitement over the partnership, stating, “This collaboration with Warner Music India is a milestone in SkillBox’s journey to redefine live entertainment in India.” With Warner’s global reach and extensive artist roster, SkillBox aims to push the boundaries of live entertainment, providing unique experiences for both artists and fans. “Our mission is to deliver unparalleled experiences across the country,” said Kukreja, “and this partnership allows us to create memorable events that resonate deeply with audiences.”

Roydon Bangera, Chief Business Officer at SkillBox, also commented on the collaboration’s potential, emphasizing that the partnership sets the foundation for a new era in India’s live entertainment scene. With a shared vision of building an artist-first ecosystem, SkillBox and Warner Music India aim to expand their offerings in music IPs, branded experiences, and live events, creating more touchpoints for fans to connect with artists at a deeper level.

Through this investment, Warner Music India and SkillBox plan to foster a dynamic ecosystem that nurtures and promotes live music, offering cutting-edge live experiences for fans across India and positioning themselves at the forefront of a rapidly evolving entertainment industry. This partnership is poised to bring artists closer to their fans, redefining live entertainment in India and building lasting musical memories.