MUMBAI: Believe, the leading technology and artist services company, announced today that it has acquired Canvas Talent, an India-based artist services, development, and booking company. This brings new opportunities to high-profile artists on the Canvas roster and a new suite of service capabilities to Believe’s existing stable of artists and partners in one of the world’s fastest-growing music markets.

Canvas provides artist services, development and A&R to a fleet of Indian artists and Bollywood stars, including Anand Bhaskar Collective, Farhan Akhtar and Ayushmann Khurrana. The company’s track record has further grown with recent signing of singer, songwriter, and composer Rochak Kohli. As part of this acquisition Anurag Rao, CEO of Canvas, will join Believe as A&R and strategic partnerships Director in India. The booking division of Canvas will be rebranded Believe Live under the management of Vaibhav Mota. They will both report into Vivek Raina, Believe India Director.

“Anurag has built Canvas into the premier partner for fast-rising artists and Bollywood stars,” said Denis Ladegaillerie, CEO, Believe. “Based on a shared level of expertise, and a commitment to transparency and partnership, we will together provide unmatched service and opportunity for our clients.”

“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished on our own and can’t imaginea better partner to take our artists to the next level’, said Anurag Rao, CEO, Canvas “At Believe we are incubating multiple ways of creating and enabling artist-centric independent music, which create new avenues for distribution, monetization, and promotions. I look forward to work on key partnerships across music businesses and talent development for our India business”.

“With the expertise of Anurag, Vaibhav and their entire team, we are multiplying opportunities for the artists we partner with. This larger bouquet of services, now including live booking and A&R, is in line with our mission to best serve our Artists with innovation, fairness, and care. I am thrilled to welcome them in the team”, said Vivek Raina, Director Believe India.