KGV Kiran Kumar promoted to Managing Director, India & Middle East at The Orchard
KGV Kiran Kumaris taking on the role of Managing Director, India & Middle East atThe Orchard, theSony Music-owned distribution and artist and label services company. The executive announced the move in. . .
KGV Kiran Kumaris taking on the role of Managing Director, India & Middle East atThe Orchard, theSony Music-owned distribution and artist and label services company. The executive announced the move in apostpublished toLinkedInon Monday (June 22). Kumarwas previously Managing Director, India at the company, a remit that also covered its operations inNepal,Sri Lanka, andBangladesh. In hisLinkedInpost,Kumarframed the move around the way recorded music now travels across borders and languages. “An artist inHyderabadcan build fans inHouston,” he wrote. “APunjabirecord can fill arenas inCanada. ATamilsoundtrack can resonate with listeners who don’t speak the language. ”“TheMiddle Eastis home to a rich and diverse musical landscape, and I’m looking forward to spending time understanding its artists, cultures, audiences, and industry dynamics,”Kumarwrote. “My hope is to apply some of the lessons we’ve learned inIndiawhere relevant, while remaining a student of the region and its unique creative ecosystem. ”“The future of music will continue to be shaped by connection – between artists and fans, between cultures, and between communities. ”KGV Kiran KumarKumarsaid audiences are “more open than ever to discovering music beyond geography, language, and identity,” and that he had watchedIndianmusic “grow from being largely consumed at home to finding audiences in many parts of the world. ”KumarjoinedThe Orchardas Country Head, India in2021, and was later promoted to Vice President & Country Head before beingelevated to Managing Director, India in November 2023. He arrived atThe Orchardwith two decades of cross-industry experience spanning banking, telecom, tech, and music. Prior toThe Orchard, he spent overtwo-and-a-half yearsatBelieve, most recently as Distribution Director, India, having previously served as the independent distributor’s Head of Sales & Distribution Services in the country. “Over the last five years, I’ve had the privilege of helping buildThe Orchard Indiaalongside an exceptional team,”Kumarwrote. “One lesson stands out above all: there are no shortcuts to understanding culture. You have to listen, learn, and stay curious,”Kumaradded. The Orchardoperates in47cities worldwide, has expanded its presence acrossSouth Asiaand other developing markets in recent years. InSeptember 2024, the company struck aglobal distribution partnership with Myst Music, aSouth Asianmusic-focused label whose first release under the deal came fromSri LankanartistJacqueline Fernandez. Indiagenerated aroundUSD$367 millionin recorded music revenue in2025, according toIFPIfigures,roughly double its 2021 level– though the market remains overwhelmingly driven by free, ad-supported streaming. At theAll About Musicconference inMumbailastAugust,IFPICEOVictoria OakleydescribedIndiaas having “extraordinary potential” todrive the next wave of global growth, while urging the market to shift from ad-funded models toward paid subscriptions. TheMiddle Eastand North Africa was among the fastest-growing regions tracked byIFPIin2025, with revenuesup15. 2% YoY,as the wider global recorded music market grew6. 4%to$31. 7 billion. “The future of music will continue to be shaped by connection – between artists and fans, between cultures, and between communities,”Kumarwrote. Music Business Worldwide