T-Series (company)

Lore & Background

T-Series, founded by Gulshan Kumar on 11 July 1983, began as a small operation in Delhi where Kumar, originally a fruit juice seller, sold pirated Hindi film songs before transitioning to producing original music. The company capitalized on a growing demand for cassette music and exploited copyright loopholes to release cover versions of songs. Its breakthrough came with the 1988 soundtrack for *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak*, which became one of the best-selling Indian music albums of the 1980s with over 8 million sales. The label solidified its dominance with the 1990 album *Aashiqui*, composed by Nadeem–Shravan, which sold 20 million copies and remains the best-selling Indian soundtrack album of all time. T-Series is the largest music record label in India, commanding up to a 35% share of the Indian music market. Its YouTube channel is the most-viewed and second most-subscribed on the platform, with over 353 billion views and 314 million subscribers as of August 2026. The company operates a multi-channel network of 43 channels, including content in languages such as Hindi, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, and others, as well as channels for devotional music, health, and children’s content. Beyond music, T-Series has produced over 100 films, establishing itself as a leading film production company in Hindi cinema. Following Gulshan Kumar’s murder by the D-Company mafia in 1997, the company has been led by his son Bhushan Kumar and brother Krishan Kumar.

Reader's Guide

T-Series is the largest music record label in India, commanding up to 35% of the national market. Its founder, Gulshan Kumar, began as a fruit juice seller in Delhi and initially built the company by selling pirated Hindi film songs, capitalizing on a small-scale cassette market rife with piracy. The company later exploited copyright loopholes to release cover versions, flooding the market. Kumar also identified a demand for devotional music, hiring singers to record hymns for elderly Hindus who could not read them, and later filmed major Hindu pilgrimages for VHS sale. T-Series’ breakthrough came with the soundtrack for the 1988 Bollywood film *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak*, which sold over 8 million units and became one of the best-selling Indian albums of the 1980s. The label then became a leading force with *Aashiqui* (1990), whose soundtrack sold 20 million copies, making it the best-selling Hindi film soundtrack album ever. T-Series sparked a boom in the Indian music industry in the early 1990s, releasing many best-selling albums. Following Kumar’s murder by the Mumbai mafia in 1997, his son Bhushan Kumar and brother Krishan Kumar took over leadership. The company has also produced over 100 films, establishing itself as a major Hindi cinema production house. On YouTube, its main channel is the most-viewed and second most-subscribed globally, with over 353 billion views and 314 million subscribers as of August 2026. T-Series operates a multi-channel network of 43 channels, including dedicated channels for languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Telugu, Tamil, and others, as well as channels for devotional content, health, and children’s nursery rhymes. Its YouTube team consists of 13 people at the company headquarters.

Did You Know?

• T-Series was founded by Gulshan Kumar, who initially sold fruit juice in Delhi.