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MUMBAI: In a landmark moment for India’s entertainment and creative industry, the Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (IPRS) hosted an exclusive closed-door roundtable in Mumbai with Ms. Sylvie Forbin, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), during her first official visit to India. The high-level gathering convened prominent voices from India’s music and entertainment industry, including lyricists, composers, screenwriters, music labels, publishers, legal experts, industry bodies and policymakers, to deliberate on the far-reaching role of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in safeguarding creativity, driving innovation, and shaping future frameworks in the age of AI and digital transformation.
The session, chaired by legendary lyricist, poet, author and IPRS Chairman Mr. Javed Akhtar, served as a strategic platform for dialogue on the global and national relevance of IP rights. It underscored the need for stronger IP ecosystems that not only protect rights but also foster a sustainable creative economy.
“The music industry has always been at the forefront of technological breakthrough. The music community has always shown resilience to overcome the challenges brought as well by technological advances. They have adapted in the best way by showing a strong alliance between them. I am impressed by India’s knowledge and assessment of what would be needed when it comes to the AI revolution and happy to go along with Indian creators to foster regulatory, business, and technological solutions to engage in this new era with the necessary tools and safeguards. Long life to Indian music!” – Sylvie Forbin, Deputy Director General, WIPO
“This roundtable was not just about rights and royalties. It was about the recognition that creators are the backbone of every cultural narrative. Through this dialogue with WIPO, we aimed to elevate the discourse on fair pay, copyright enforcement, and future-ready frameworks—especially considering AI and digital transformation. IPRS remains committed to ensuring that every voice behind the music is heard, respected, and rewarded.” – Mr. Javed Akhtar, Chairman, IPRS
“Thanks to Javed Akhtar sahab and IPRS for holding this roundtable meeting with Ms. Sylvie Forbin, Deputy Director General, WIPO. Having WIPO at the table added immense value, bringing international expertise and highlighting collaborative efforts to strengthen IP frameworks across nations. SWA and SRAI as representatives of screenwriters and lyricists strive for the rights of the creators and it is good to see all the stakeholders coming together to discuss the betterment of creators and protection of Intellectual Property.” – Zaman Habib, General Secretary, Screenwriters Association
“Our heartfelt thanks to IPRS for organising an exclusive roundtable meeting in Mumbai, participated by personalities across India’s music and entertainment industry with Ms. Sylvie Forbin. It was a great opportunity to listen to her and express our thoughts.
We truly appreciate the initiative by the one and only IPRS in supporting India’s rapidly evolving entertainment and music landscape.” – Sridhar J Swaminathan, Secretary, SIMCA
Notable participants included Mr. Rakesh Nigam- CEO of Indian Performing Right Society; Blaise Fernandes -President & CEO, Indian Music Industry; Zaman Habib- General Secretary, Screenwriters Association; Sridhar J Swaminathan- Secretary, SIMCA; Sanjay Tandon – CEO, ISAMRA, Atul Churamani -Founder and MD of Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt. Ltd; Dinraj Shetty – MD Sony Music Publishing, Vipin Mishra – MCAI, Ameet Dutta- Founder of ADP Law; Salim Merchant- Singer & Director, Kausar Munir – Lyricist & Poet, Sneha Khanwalkar – Music Composer, Vishal Dadlani – Singer & Music Composer, Lohita Sujith – MPA, Vinod Ranganathan, CEO SRAI, and many others.
Key Takeaways from the Roundtable:
1 IP as a Growth Enabler: Strengthening IP frameworks is essential for fostering innovation and supporting India’s growing creative industries.
2 Global-Local Synergy: Engagement with WIPO highlighted the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
3 Preparing for the AI Era: A strong focus on evolving digital rights, metadata management, and ethical guidelines to navigate emerging technologies.
4 Institutional Strengthening: The need for proactive government support, legal clarity, and empowered CMOs (Collective Management Organizations) to enforce rights.
5 Building a Unified Voice: The event marked a milestone in uniting diverse voices to drive long-term impact on India’s cultural and economic growth.
6 Elevating the Role of Creators in Policy-Making: Formal inclusion of creators in national IP and digital policy formulation was strongly advocated.
7 Copyright Education & Awareness: Emphasis on educating both creators and consumers on IP rights to reduce misuse and promote informed practices.
8 Strengthening Collective Management Organisations (CMOs): Modernisation and transparency of CMOs were recognized as pivotal for trust and efficiency.
9 Data and Metadata Integrity: The need for robust crediting systems through better metadata was highlighted to ensure fair attribution and royalties.
10 Cultural Exchange and International Cooperation: The role of WIPO in encouraging global partnerships was applauded, with a call for more international dialogue.
11 Youth and Innovation: Recognising the contribution of young creators and startups in redefining the future of creative economies.
