Warner Music India Brings Ashok Parwani on Board to Lead South Indian Music Strategy

Warner Music India has appointed Ashok Parwani as Head of Music for South Indian Markets, a move that underlines the company’s growing emphasis on regional music ecosystems. The appointment comes soon after Warner Music India took a majority stake in Divo, signalling a deeper push into South India’s fast-expanding music and creator economy.Parwani steps into the role at a time when South Indian music is no longer confined to regional boundaries. With streaming platforms pushing vernacular content into national and global playlists, the region has become central to growth strategies for major labels. Warner Music India’s leadership believes Parwani’s experience will help convert this momentum into long-term catalogue strength and deeper artist relationships. As Jay Mehta, Managing Director for India and SAARC, put it, “South India is an essential, high-growth pillar of our national strategy,” adding that Parwani’s regional understanding fits squarely with the company’s long-term ambitions.

With more than four decades in the industry, Parwani is best known for his long stint at Sony Music India, where he played a key role in building the label’s South India business. Over the years, he worked closely with producers, filmmakers and artists, helping secure influential catalogues and shaping how regional music was marketed and monetised. That legacy now becomes a foundation for Warner Music India’s next phase in the region.The appointment also tightens the integration between Warner Music India and Divo, which has emerged as a major player in South India’s digital and music landscape. Divo’s co-founder Shahir Muneer noted that Parwani’s arrival strengthens this collaboration, saying his leadership will help “scale our catalogue, deepen partnerships, and unlock stronger commercial opportunities for artists across the region.” The partnership brings together Warner’s global distribution muscle with Divo’s local market expertise.

For Parwani, the role is less about titles and more about timing. He described South India as “a powerhouse of creativity,”pointing to the opportunity to take regional sounds to audiences well beyond their traditional markets. His focus will be on expanding reach, nurturing independent talent and building pathways that allow South Indian music to travel globally without losing its cultural core.As Warner Music India continues to build its regional strategy through catalogue expansion, new artist-first initiatives like Loopd, and cross-border collaborations—the appointment signals a clear intent: South Indian music is no longer a subset of the industry, but a central driver of its future.