It was a celebration that indie music lovers will remember for a long time to come. Pepsi launched the first ever Indie music channel. The network's first branded channel in the country called Pepsi MTV Indies will focus on alternative music, film, art, street culture and fashion.

Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd (a 50:50 joint venture between Viacom Inc and Network18), India’s leading multi-media entertainment powerhouse, launched Pepsi MTV Indies.

Pepsi MTV Indies will be the world’s largest platform for independent sub cultures and has been built in collaboration with a collective of artists and supporters of the independent scene. Led by Music, Pepsi MTV Indies will also reflect other subcultures like independent Films, Art, Comedy and more, thereby taking these alternative art forms into the homes of millions. The channel is launched in High Definition and Dolby 5.1 surround sound and will be available across leading DTH and digital cable platforms.

Musicians, filmmakers, comedians and artists are constantly creating their own unique space and are clearly emerging as a force to reckon with. Thus it’s no surprise that two iconic youth brands Pepsi and MTV have come together to support these independent artists and transform this emerging trend into a full blown revolution.

Explaining the rationale behind launching the channel, Group CEO of Viacom18, Sudhanshu Vats said, “At Viacom18, we believe in sharper segmentation whether it pertains to the genre, the audience or by markets. Indies is a move that further strengthens our bouquet of varied offerings. India is moving from a collective to an individualistic content consumption habit. The youth and music genre offers great opportunity for growth and we’re sure that this move will help us build an ecosystem for creating a lot of live content as well.”

Talking about the first of its kind brand association in India, Deepika Warrier, Vice President- Po1 Marketing PepsiCo India said, “Pepsi as a brand has always stood for anticipating the pulse of the youth ahead of the curve. Our positioning, as manifested in our tagline OH YES ABHI, celebrates the impatience of youth who want the excitement, the spotlight, the action, the stage, right now! Music is a key youth passion point and Pepsi’s biggest platform globally. We are excited about partnering with MTV to launch this new platform, as we continue to set and fuel trends, creating a gateway to new experiences for our consumers”

Along with announcing the launch, Pepsi also unveiled its new product packaging with the global logo and visual identity. “The launch of the channel coincides with the debut of Pepsi’s global logo and visual identity system in India. Celebrating revolution, engagement and the impatience to be more, Pepsi continues to change the way the young see the world and the way the world sees them,” Deepika added.

The channel seamlessly integrates into the digital world. A slick, editorially rich, responsive website ensures a delightful user experience across devices. With videos streaming, users can create playlists, share gig updates and feel the experience of other indie fans up close and personal. On the mobile front, a unique Indie music discovery app has been created which is accessible across all android and ios platforms. Concerts and festivals are a key part of the Pepsi MTV Indies footprint.

Announcing the launch of the brand new channel Aditya Swamy, Business Head, MTV India said, “MTV is the cultural home of the millennials, musicians and artists across genres. There is a content revolution brewing and MTV is constantly fuelling it with its edgy curation. Our partnership with Pepsi is the start of a brand new chapter in the entertainment landscape of India. We are excited about leading the change from sub culture to pop culture. Its space both brands are heavily invested in and together this is going to be an exciting ride.

Pepsi MTV Indies is the biggest platform for the indie subculture to showcase its youthful torchbearers – a channel that’s by the artist, of the artist, and for the world.

Tapping into this pulsating, dynamic and fresh subculture, the Pepsi MTV Indies is designed to bring together the vibrant potential of Indian youth. The channel’s programming will include mood based user generated playlists, artists busking on the streets of India, indie ‘pedia’ to bring you up to speed on the happenings in the indie world, stories from amazing world that exists backstage, insights into iconic album art of our time, showcasing unusual suspects, graffiti art, bespoke automobile designing and avant-garde fashion.

The evening was set inside a three – storey house to signify the homecoming of the indie scene. What followed was an audio visual spectacle that was brought to life by the biggest names from the Indian independent scene, living up to the line of the world’s largest indie stage.

You had artists who have rarely shared the same stage. There was Rabbi in a special appearance with Ankur and the Ghalat Family, Tough on Tobacco, young guns Spud in the Box jamming with Blackstratblues guitarist and singer Warren Mendonsa, and the bombastic Bombay Bassment. There was also visionary and multi – instrumentalist Karsh Kale who jammed with folk rock stars The Raghu Dixit Project.

Keeping the crowd in splits with their twisted take on the indie scene, were comedians and hosts for the evening Abish Mathew and Varun Thakur.