MUMBAI: After receiving a stellar response in its inaugural year, the one-of-its-kind educative conference, The Exchange, returns to the city for its second consecutive year. Great Britain’s, UK Trade and Investment, British Council and Visit Britain in collaboration with India’s Submerge Entertainment will host The Exchange Music Conference on 3rd and 4th December at The Lalit Hotel in Mumbai. This joint initiative aims at formulating, building and sustaining the potential business prospects between the UK and India and highlighting core concerns within the rapidly evolving music business. The two-day conference will act as a catalyst for collaboration, exploration and expansion of the British music industry in India and will culminate in a music showcase. Additionally, making its debut at this year’s conference is The Lab, a think tank of creative individuals breaking ground in production, design and technology.

The conference will see representation from key names from the music industry including regulatory heads, digital distribution companies, record label owners, management agencies, festival organizers, promoters and artists across all genres of music. This year, the conference will empanel influential industry stakeholders such as Vishal Dadlani, Devraj Sanyal, Manasi Scott, Vir Das, Nikhil Chinapa, Salim Merchant, Rob Challice (Founding Partner – Coda Agency), Rishi Malhotra (CEO/Co-Founder – Saavn), and Sat Bisla (P resident/Founder – A&R Worldwide) on a single platform to discuss and debate on a variety of topics concerning the industry. Tickets to the conference will be on an invite basis and applications are on their main webpage.

India, UKTI and Mumbai, British deputy high commissioner, Kumar Iyer, “The UK and India produce some of the best music in the world – creating a platform for collaboration and promoting the best that both countries can offer is exactly what The Exchange is about. The mission offers an insight into the huge opportunities for collaboration between the UK and India in the music sector, it is genuinely exciting to be bringing together so many leading names and organisers from both countries for this programme – a genuine jugalbandhi.’’

India, UKTI, creative industries manager Meetal Shah – “After the success of our music mission in 2014, we are very excited to be joining hands with our partners BPI and AIM to bring out another mission to India. We have seen an increase in interest in this market and we believe that it will result in forging a long term relationship between the UK and India.”

Submerge, director Hermit Sethi – “India is currently one of the world’s biggest music markets and one that is quickly catching the attention of the world’s biggest music festivals and artists. The Exchange is a forum curated to put the spotlight on the potential of the Indian music industry. India is a popular destination on the world music map and is becoming a hotspot for UK acts to tour and perform. Our aim is to bring together British and Indian talent, trade outfits and industry forerunners and create an exclusive platform to amplify the future of music.”

The Exchange is part of a week-long trade mission that has been put together by UKTI, in partnership with AIM (The Association of Independent Music) and BPI (British Phonographic Industry). The trade mission, called ‘Music is Great Britain’, from 2nd to 8th December will see representatives of the UK music industry attend a program of educational seminars, networking events, conferences and artists showcases in a concerted bid to tap into the growing prominence of the Indian music market and expand British presence in the territory.

Look out for The Exchange to feature some of the brightest minds in the music industry and become a staple in the quickly rising music scene in India.