ROMANCE
“There’s been a huge resurgence,” said Jude De Souza, 36, who runs the Mumbai record store The Revolver Club, saying the growing interest dovetailed with the wider availability of audio gear and records.
Listening sessions organised by the store bring in more than 100 fans.
Despite the growth in popularity, India’s vinyl sales remain a drop in the global ocean.
While the world’s most populous country has one of the biggest bases of music listeners, with local songs racking up big views on YouTube and music streaming platforms, its publishing industry is small by global revenue standards.
Music publishing revenues hit about US$100 million in the 2023 fiscal year, far smaller than Western markets – according to accountancy giant EY.
That is partly due to the lower spending power of its fans, coupled with runaway piracy.
At a small roadside store, 62-year-old Abdul Razzak is the bridge between India’s old vinyl culture and newer fans, selling up to 400 second-hand records each month to customers aged from 25 to 75.
He sells records for 550 to 2,500 rupees (US $6.50 to $30), and believes new vinyl pressed in India will prove popular if it is priced within that bracket.
For Pillai and his small factory, it provides an opportunity.
He could, if demand was there, “easily” triple the factory’s monthly production capacity of more than 30,000, something he hopes will come.
“Even though people love digital, the touch feel is not there,” Pillai said.
“Here there’s ownership, there’s love for it, there’s romance, there’s love, there’s life.”