Universal Music Group acquires stake in Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment

farhan excel

• Universal Music Group acquires minority stake in Excel Entertainment
• Excel founders retain creative control and majority shareholding
• Deal aims to boost Indian content's global reach and Excel's production scale

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Hollywood music giant Universal Music Group (UMG) has taken a minority stake in Excel Entertainment, the influential Indian production house co‑founded by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, marking a significant partnership between global and Indian entertainment industries. The deal was reported to be finalised after months of discussions and is expected to be officially unveiled at a press conference featuring Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The collaboration aims to bolster Universal Music Group’s footprint in the Indian film and content space while enabling Excel Entertainment to scale up its productions and expand its reach. Industry sources suggest that the alliance aligns with a broader vision of promoting Indian content to international audiences, echoing a push for homegrown stories on the global stage.

Excel Entertainment, which celebrates its 25th anniversary, was launched in 2001 with Dil Chahta Hai — a film that helped redefine contemporary Hindi cinema. Over the past quarter‑century, the banner has produced a string of notable films and series including the Don franchise, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Gully Boy, and the Fukrey series, as well as acclaimed OTT hits like Mirzapur, Made in Heaven, and Dahaad.

Despite bringing in external investment, Excel’s founders — Farhan and Ritesh — will retain their creative control and majority shareholding, ensuring that the company’s artistic direction remains in their hands. The minority stake sale is expected to infuse fresh strategic energy into Excel’s future slate of projects across film, music, and digital platforms.

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Universal Music Group, headquartered in the U.S. with corporate offices in the Netherlands, is one of the world’s leading music and entertainment conglomerates. Its partnership with Excel Entertainment represents one of the largest minority‑stake deals involving an Indian production house, underscoring rising global interest in Indian cinema and content ecosystems.