MUMBAI: In a landmark announcement for India’s emerging music scene, YouTube announced DJ/producer duo Prayag Mehta and Rishab Joshi led Lost Stories as one of their top global picks for Foundry 2020 - making them the first Indians to ever be chosen for this prestigious program.

Foundry is YouTube Music’s artist development program, which supports emerging independent artists as they build careers on their own terms. Via this unique partnership, artists set goals, develop content strategy and engage with fans, with the help of YouTube partner managers and agency partners.

Excited about the selection, Prayag and Rishab echo sentiments as they mention, “We are thrilled for the exposure and the chance to put India on the international music map. YouTube Foundry will help us to take our creativity and vision to next level, and we see a universal opportunity to showcase our content and take our music across borders. We truly believe music has the power to unite the world as one global village, a quality that lies at the heart of all our creations.”

Lost Stories will work together with YouTube to maximize the impact of their channel, receive marketing promotion and education on best practices for growing and engaging their audience on an international scale, for an intensive period of time.

“YouTube is a platform that thrives on discovery and at its core that is what Foundry is all about. We are so proud to bring this diverse group of artists together to help share their music and creative visions with new fans from around the world,” says Vivien Lewit, YouTube's Global Head of Artist Relations.

“This year, we’re all navigating a new industry, and the artists in this Foundry class are finding new ways to create content and stay connected. These artist’s journeys are a snapshot of today’s music landscape, and worth watching for anyone interested in the future of music and culture. We’re grateful to support them as they grow and build lasting relationships with their fans,” adds Naomi Zeichner, YouTube Artist Partnerships Lead.

The class of 2020 will also feature Los Angeles singer-songwriter Adam Melchor, Puerto Rican trap artist Eladio Carrion, Brooklyn experimentalist Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Birmingham grime artist and actor Jaykae, Glasgow R&B singer Joesef, Los Angeles-based corridos trailblazer Natanael Cano, Japanese indie rock band Novelbright, Sydney pop-rock brothers Lime Cordiale, French pop-rap artist TESSÆ, Nigerian singer and producer Tems, and Korean-American multitalent REI AMI from around the globe, all working to bring their music and stories to new audiences and build lasting relationships with their fans. Together, they will develop their music and visual content, becoming experts at building deep connections as they grow and their music travels across borders.

Foundry began in 2016 as a series of workshops and content creation sessions at YouTube Spaces in Los Angeles, New York, and London, with the goal of providing artists tools to grow their presence on YouTube. Popular alumnus includes Dua Lipa, ROSALÍA, Dave, CUCO, Gunna, Mahalia, Maleek Berry, Chloe x Halle, Jacob Collier, Rauw Alejandro, and Cavetown, all of whom partnered with the program to catapult themselves into global stardom.