Mo Joshi

Mo Joshi’s story begins in the pulsating subcultures of the UK, where he came of age amid the rise of underground music movements. 'I’m a product of subculture,' he says, recounting how turning 18 at the peak of the UK garage scene shaped his tastes. In the 1990s, Mo witnessed hardcore morph into jungle, jungle into drum and bass, then garage, UK hip-hop, a golden era that left an indelible mark on him. Music was the constant backdrop: 'Mom sings. Dad listened to ghazals, Mom loved Bollywood, my sister was into Mariah and Kylie… and my brother was a DJ mixing jungle tracks in our room while I tried to sleep,' he laughs, painting a picture of a childhood steeped in sound.

The early 2000s brought Mo to India repeatedly, initially for business. In 2001, he co-founded an IT company with his brother, which involved months-long stints on the ground in India, handling various projects. Those extended stays gave him a chance to see the country through his own eyes. Previously, Mo’s connection to India was as an NRI kid on family trips, visiting relatives, touring his ancestral homeland under parental watch. 'I was always connected with the culture, but from the lens of an NRI coming with his parents,' he explains. Living and working in India as a young adult changed that perspective. Between 2001 and 2010, as he shuttled between the UK and India, Mo gradually discovered 'bits and pieces of India of my own.'

Founding Azadi Records: Vision and Beginnings By the early 2010s, Mo’s visits to India had a new purpose. He found himself drawn back not just by tech projects but by the nascent music scene bubbling under the surface. Around 2013, while in India for a project (he hadn’t even planned to stay long-term at that point), Mo started noticing something different. 'I started seeing the festival scene here and I was like, OK, this is interesting,' he says. Mo began consulting for emerging streaming platforms (Apple Music had just launched in India, Saavn was on the rise) to bridge a 'knowledge gap' in the industry. That role put him in touch with a wave of independent artists coming up across the country in 2013–14, further fueling his curiosity.

By 2014, Mo had a revelation: 'I pretty much decided, OK, I’m not going back (to the UK). Something is interesting going on here,' he says. Initially, he tried partnering with a web platform to start a record label in 2015, even launching a label imprint through that platform. But after about 18 months, that collaboration fizzled out by late 2016. Yet, the setback only clarified Mo’s conviction. 'In 2016, I was like, OK, there are no independent record labels – at least none providing a truly independent structure,' he notes. The Indian music industry was still dominated by an 'archaic work-for-hire structure', where artists rarely owned their music and film soundtracks reigned supreme.

Around the same time, Mo crossed paths with Uday Kapur, a like-minded culture journalist passionate about hip-hop. Despite an age gap, the two found 'camaraderie in the sense of, this is messed up, let’s do something about it,'. By April 2017, Mo was ready to make the leap. He parted ways with other projects and formally teamed up with Uday to create an independent record label that would champion artists on their terms. In May 2017, the duo launched Azadi Records – a name that means 'freedom,' reflecting their mission to free music from old industry shackles. 'We both aligned ideologically in terms of master ownership, financial structure, creative input… all that stuff,' Mo says of Azadi’s founding philosophy. And with that, Mo found his purpose in India: nurturing a homegrown music movement that was itching to explode.
 

Triumphs and Trials of an Indie Label
Azadi Records hit the ground running. In its first couple of years, the label became a lightning rod for India’s budding hip-hop and alternative music scene. Mo’s two decades of business experience meant he understood how to run a company, and he also personally funded the initial phase. '2017, ’18, ’19, we flew,' he says. Indeed, Azadi moved fast and broke ground – signing raw talent, churning out a high volume of left-of-centre releases and music videos, and quickly gaining an aura of revolution. The timing was perfect: India’s streets were finding a voice in hip-hop, and Azadi (which coincidentally launched just a year before the rap blockbuster Gully Boy would bring underground hip-hop to mainstream cinemas) was at the forefront of that cultural moment. The label’s early roster featured brash and bold new voices – artists like Prabh Deep, the Delhi duo Seedhe Maut, producer Sez On The Beat, Kashmiri rapper Ahmer, Mumbai’s multilingual collective Swadesi, and experimental rapper Tienas, to name a few.

'Being called Azaadi brought its own connotations’ Mo notes, alluding to scrutiny they faced for their provocative stand. For a while, it felt like Azadi could do no wrong. They were 'very quick, first to market,' Mo says, describing those heady early days when momentum was on their side.

'Post-pandemic is where it started to get difficult,' Mo admits. The challenges came on multiple fronts. As a boutique label, Azadi always ran on tight budgets, and Mo’s funds were draining after years of self-funding artist projects. In the early days they had supplemented label income with an artist management wing (organizing live shows and brand deals for their artists), but COVID-19 shuttered concerts and dried up those revenue streams overnight. 'Work dried up… it just got difficult in that sense,' he says. For the first time, Azadi had to seek an advance from an external partner – essentially a cash infusion to keep operations going.

A Second Chapter: New Voices and Global Vision
Eight years on, Azadi Records stands at the cusp of a new era. Mo refers to it as 'the second chapter' of the label. The first chapter was about making a statement – assembling a groundbreaking roster and proving that an alternative system could work. 'I believe the first roster we set up was a great insight into the way this record label thinks,' he reflects. Those early signings – from rapper Prabh Deep’s searing social commentary to Seedhe Maut’s street anthems, from Ahmer’s fierce Kashmiri narratives to Swadesi’s multilingual protest rap – established Azadi’s identity. 'If you look at Seedhe Maut, Prabh, Sez, Tienas, Swadesi… it set the intent of what we’re trying to do,' Mo says. But he’s the first to admit that 'it’s a challenge to keep a roster like that together.' Independent artists can drift in different directions – some outgrow the label, some take breaks, and new voices emerge. Change is natural, and Azadi has never been about clinging to the past. Instead, Mo is focused on refreshing the lineup while holding onto the ethos. 'I feel the new roster is kind of succinct with that thought and ideology,' he says, implying that the newcomers share the DNA of the originals.

'We’ve naturally graduated to the Northeast, either via a connection or just being recommended by somebody,' Mo explains. 'There’s some incredible talent there.'
Another pillar of Azadi’s second chapter is taking South Asian music to the world stage. Mo is a strong believer that the next global music sensations can come from this region. Part of it is a matter of timing and infrastructure – 'South Asia, specifically India, has only had access to high-speed internet, to the world, for a generation,' he points out. Now the label is doubling down on that by nurturing English-language hip-hop and R&B acts alongside vernacular ones. In fact, about half of Azadi’s current roster creates primarily in English, aiming for a crossover appeal without diluting their roots. The message is clear: an Indian artist doesn’t have to fit the Bollywood mold to go global; they can be themselves and still resonate worldwide.
Mo also gives a glimpse into how Azadi is innovating on the talent discovery front. The label receives 'hundreds of demos a month,' an overwhelming flood of music from aspiring artists hoping to be the next signee. To manage this, Azadi built a demo submission platform that streamlines listening and sorting. But Mo’s ambitions go beyond just filtering submissions. Since he can’t possibly sign every talented artist he comes across – 'I’d love to sign 100 acts, but I can’t,' he laughs – he’s brainstorming ways to still uplift more of them.

As Mo leads Azadi into this new phase, he remains restless and hungry. He caused a minor stir recently when he remarked on a podcast about 'finding another artist' to replace a departed star from the first roster. Some thought he was being cavalier, but Mo stands by the intent behind it. 'I’ll double down on that,' he now says. 'The idea is to go and find another great artist… That’s always been the modus.' In other words, Azadi will never rest on its laurels.

The Road Ahead for India’s Music Scene
'Like everything, there are phases of growth (and) retraction,' Mo notes. Right now, even amid global economic uncertainties, music in India is on an upswing. There are a lot of eyes on the market – from streaming companies investing in local talent to international labels scouting for the next big thing in South Asia. This attention, coupled with the sheer volume of young artists emerging, means competition and energy are at an all-time high. 'I think we’ll see more big dawgs situations,' Mo says. He’s particularly excited about the rise of formidable female artists in India. 'We’ve got some great female talent in this country that is easily able to conquer that stage,' he says.

'I’d love to see more artists aware of the deals they’re signing – how they’re signing and what they’re signing,' he says. In the rush to 'make it', too many youngsters ink restrictive contracts with major labels or platforms without grasping the long-term implications. 'I think there hasn’t been enough movement in that sense,' Mo adds, implying that despite all the indie progress, many artists still fall into old traps.

Words Harita Odedara
12.06.2025