Warner Music has announced the acquisition of the Indian artist management and live events company, E-Positive. The deal further strengthens Warner Music India’s position as a market leader and will allow its artists to tap into new expertise in brand partnerships and live events.

E-Positive is home to Darshan Raval, one of the top five most streamed artists in India and the fastest growing artists in the region, having quadrupled his daily steams in the last 12 months. Raval is renowned for his crossover ability and has released songs in languages including Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Bengali. His tracks have been streamed more than nine billion times, while he has grown his monthly listeners across the DSPs to more than 43 million, and garnered 17 million followers on Instagram.

E-Positive will continue to act as a standalone company and will be led by founder and CEO, Naushad Khan. Khan is a prominent figure in the live entertainment industry, having built an unrivalled network of contacts while promoting more than 15,000 shows. Since launching E-Positive, he has also been instrumental in managing the careers of a number of artists, including Raval, who he discovered and helped develop into a star.

Naushad Khan said: “I’ve worked towards developing a legacy for over 10 years and carved the journey of each one of my artists. I’m delighted that we’ve found a new home at Warner Music India. The team there will help us grow in the international market and will help our artists connect with more fans from around the world. We’re looking forward to the next chapter of E-Positive.”

Jay Mehta, Managing Director, Warner Music India, added: “Naushad has done an incredible job of positioning E-Positive as a leading management company and his knowledge of brand partnerships and the live sector will be a great asset for us at Warner Music India. And it’s a privilege to welcome such a phenomenal artist as Darshan Raval into the global Warner Music family. Darshan is a true star, and we believe he can become a staple on the global stage.”

Alfonso Perez Soto, President, Emerging Markets, Warner Music, concluded: “This deal once again reinforces our desire to become the number one destination for artists in India, and welcoming an artist like Darshan onto our roster is a real statement of intent. Darshan, as well as the whole of the E-Positive roster, will be able to harness Warner Music’s global network and start to connect with a wider international audience. This deal helps us to level-up and enhance our 360 offering to artists by bringing in the knowledge and expertise of Naushad to Warner Music. Our improved suite of services we will enable our artists to transcend the whole of India and help bring Indian culture to the rest of the world.”