Shankar will deepen the company’s commitment to being One Global Artist Development platform.
Mumbai, India, 16.04.2026 – Believe, one of the world’s leading music companies, has elevated Akhila Shankar to lead its Artist Services business across India and South Asia.
Shankar, who currently heads TuneCore India and South Asia, will take on the new role immediately and will continue to oversee TuneCore.
Based in Mumbai, she will focus on artist development, deepening artist partnerships, expanding local capabilities, and building pathways for artists to grow both regionally and globally. The move reflects Believe’s continued investment in one of the fastest-evolving music markets, where independent artists are playing an increasingly central role in shaping culture and consumption.
This transition follows the decision of current Director of Artist Services, Shilpa Sharda to move on from Believe India to pursue other interests after being with the company for 12 years. The company thanks her for her contributions and leadership during her tenure and wishes her the very best in her future endeavors.
“Building TuneCore in India has been a deeply rewarding journey. It’s shaped how I think about the systems independent artists need for their growth and long-term career sustainability. This next chapter with Believe feels like a natural extension of that work. I’m excited to build more connected pathways for artists, from discovery to development and support them more holistically as they grow. There’s a lot to be done, and I’m looking forward to what we can build together.”
Akhila Shankar
Director of Artist Services and Head of TuneCore India and South Asia
“As the music landscape in India and South Asia evolves, our focus remains on building a robust ecosystem that supports artists at every stage of their journey. Akhila’s deep understanding of the market, combined with her track record of execution, makes her well positioned to lead this next phase of growth for our Artist Services business.”
Vivek Raina
Managing Director, Believe India
Shankar has played a key role in scaling TuneCore’s presence in the region, helping independent artists access global distribution and build sustainable careers while retaining control of their rights. As of today, TuneCore is home to independent releases from artists like Ritviz, Talwiinder, and projects with Famous Studios (Diljit Dosanjh).
At the same time, Believe Artist Services, as part of Believe’s broader artist development ecosystem, has been instrumental in nurturing and scaling artists such as Sanju Rathod, Cheema Y, and Gur Sidhu, supporting them across key stages of their growth journeys.
She is well positioned to lead the business into its next phase of growth while continuing to strengthen and expand artist development ambitions in the region.
About Believe
Believe is a global artist development company. We empower local artists, labels and publishers to grow their audiences at each stage of their careers with expertise, respect, fairness and transparency. Operating in 50+ countries, with more than 2,000 employees, Believe offers a full range of services including audience development, publishing, marketing and distribution, with a tailor-made approach to fit any artist, label or publisher. Believe champions independence and innovation through a unique model that combines local expertise with a global tech platform, delivering exclusive solutions for artists to promote and monetize their music thanks to strategic partnerships with leading global digital service providers. With a leading portfolio of brands that includes Nuclear Blast, naïve, TuneCore, Groove Attack, Sentric, AllPoints and Byond, Believe artists generated more than 800 billion streams worldwide in 2024 across all genres, and were recognized with more than 70 leading industry awards. Believe is a simplified joint-stock company under French law. Learn more at www.believe.com
About TuneCore
TuneCore is the leading independent development partner for self-releasing artists to build audiences and careers – with technology and services across distribution, publishing administration, and a range of promotional services. TuneCore Music Distribution services help artists, labels, and managers sell their music through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, Tencent, and more than 150 download and streaming stores worldwide, while retaining 100 percent of their sales revenue and rights for a low annual flat fee. TuneCore Music Publishing Administration assists songwriters by administering their compositions through licensing, registration, worldwide royalty collections, and placement opportunities in film, TV, commercials, video games, and more. The TuneCore Artist Services portal offers a suite of tools and services that enable artists to promote their craft, connect with fans, and get their music heard. TuneCore, part of Believe, is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, with offices in Los Angeles and Nashville, and operates globally through local teams based in the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore across 5 continents. www.tunecore.com