When music executive Anjula Acharia began launching superstar actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas into Hollywood in the early 2000s, her recording partner Jimmy Iovine (the name behind pop sensations like Eminem and Lady Gaga) told her it was 20 years too early to bring South Asian talent to the US.
Now, Acharia is the founder and CEO of 5 Junction, a joint label with Warner Music Group specifically focused on investing in South Asian artists in the US.
“It sounded crazy to think that we came 20 years early, but now, 20 years later, with the explosion of people like Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Aujla… there are all these South Asian acts that come here and really sell out, particularly in the live setting,” Acharia told CNBC.
The South Asian music market in the United States has remained largely untapped, but as music becomes more globalized, as with the success of K-pop and Latin artists, South Asian talent is making the case for investors as the next big business opportunity, Acharia said.
Global music revenues are reaching all-time highs, surpassing $30 billion by 2025, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Spotify said last year that streams by Indian artists in international markets grew more than 2,000% between 2019 and 2023, and nearly 50% of royalties from Indian artists on the platform in 2024 came from listeners outside India.
According to Acharia, with the growing South Asian population and diaspora, it will become one of the fastest growing segments within world music.
“We are in a different time and I think digitally things travel much faster,” he said. “A lot of big hits were made with samples of Indian music, so it's been in the zeitgeist for a long time; it just hasn't been given a face.”
As more labels look to the subcontinent, Acharia said the business is currently in an experimentation stage, figuring out what works and how fan bases will evolve. Warner Music Group is the third-largest music label in the US and has approximately 17% market share by distribution property in the first quarter of 2026, according to Billboard.
“I think the business proposition is this global Indian fandom,” he said. “How do we galvanize this audience and this fandom, and how do we serve them?”
Rhea Raj at the Atlantic Music Group and Salomon Present: Whisper Room, A Pre-Grammy Celebration event, at The Hole in Los Angeles on January 30, 2026.
Chad Salvador | World Water Day | fake images
5 Junction represents top artists like singer-songwriter Rhea Raj, who told CNBC that she's seeing South Asian music become more mainstream in the U.S.
“We're seeing more artists at bigger festivals and awards shows, and I think the best is yet to come,” Raj said.
Raj and her sister, Lara Raj, of the girl group Katseye, are two of many South Asian artists in the United States who are building fan bases that span different backgrounds and ethnicities.
Rhea Raj, who began working on “American Idol” nearly a decade ago, said she believes now is the time South Asian music is going to “explode” in the United States, especially as 5 Junction continues to bring more artists to the main stages.
“South Asian music is so diverse, and within that, there are so many countries, regions, styles and things to break down and explore, and I just hope that as time goes on and we get more artists in the mainstream pop world, we get to see more and more pieces of that,” he said.
'Building worlds'
Nora Fatehi performs on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” November 19, 2025.
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The streaming era has helped Warner Records narrow its focus on the South Asian music business because it lowers barriers to entry, said Karen Kwak, executive vice president and head of artists and repertoire at the company.
Kwak told CNBC that when she entered the music business, there were virtually no other executives or artists who looked like her. Now, that landscape has changed dramatically.
Kwak said younger generations, especially in South Asia, are driving current music trends.
“That's the great thing about the music world we live in today, is that everyone accepts who they are, and I think young people around the world want to see stars that look like them,” Kwak said. “It's a rabid fandom in India… and it's exactly where we want to be.”
The record company also focuses on fostering collaborations between South Asian musicians and popular American artists to help them break into the music scene, he added.
“It's really about building worlds and yes, of course, we will continue to invest [in South Asian talent]” he said. “It's what music is. “We are changing, impacting and creating the new musical culture.”
It's also important for Warner to “change and mix genres,” Kwak said, adding that the company is investing in South Asian talent that spans multiple types of music, languages and audiences.
Nora Fatehi is one of those artists. The Moroccan-Canadian singer and actress, who has over 45 million followers on Instagram, saw the potential of the South Asian market and broke in (targeting that audience even though she has no connection to South Asia) and became one of the biggest names in the business.
“Right now, what 5 Junction and Warner are trying to do is take advantage of the different talent that's coming out of that country, give it a platform and also allow people around the world to consume music and art like never before,” he told CNBC.
Fatehi, who will perform at the World Cup opening ceremony in Toronto in a few weeks, said that although the American market is difficult to penetrate as an outsider, he is seeing the results take hold as more South Asian talent crosses over to the West.
“I think the public is ready for different things,” Fatehi said. “Now, with YouTube and Spotify and with social networks, I don't think there are borders anymore. … I think labels, management and platforms realize that people are willing to consume different types of music.”
— CNBC's Ryan Baker contributed to this report.
