Mandar Thakur, CEO of Times Music, will be honored as the “International Music Person of The Year” at the 25th global edition of MUSEXPO during a special awards luncheon on Tuesday, March 18th, 2025.

Times Music is one of India and South Asia’s leading music entertainment companies encompassing a record label, music publishing and talent management. Times Music is a joint venture between Indian media conglomerate – The Times Group and U.S. based Primary Wave Music, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world.

Times Music operates through two key sub-labels: “Junglee Music,” renowned for its extensive catalog of film music across Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, and other languages, and “ffs.,” a cutting-edge platform for independent music.

Mandar’s illustrious career began in the early ‘90s in Hong Kong with The Entertainment Co., where he contributed to their Asian concert promotion business. He played a pivotal role in establishing Channel [V] in India, a groundbreaking 24-hour music television station. Mandar was also instrumental in shaping Asia’s digital music landscape as a founding member of Soundbuzz, the region’s leading digital music distribution company, which was acquired by Motorola in early 2008.

In addition to his role at Times Music, Mandar chairs the board of PPL India and serves on the boards of IPRS, PDL, and the industry association IMI, further demonstrating his profound impact and leadership in the global music industry.