Rusk Media Announces I-Popstar Volume 2 With Neha Kakkar, Aditya Rikhari and KING as Mentors

Rusk Media is bringing back its homegrown music talent property I-Popstar for Volume 2, with Neha Kakkar joining Aditya Rikhari and KING as mentors as the digital entertainment company looks to scale the franchise across music, audiences, languages and brand partnerships.

The second volume is scheduled to launch in:

September 2026

and will feature:

18 episodes

structured across:

three phases.

Contestants will face weekly challenges designed to test their:

performance,

originality,

and ability to connect with audiences.

Wicked Sunny, also known as Vikalp Dwivedi, will return as host.

The new season also arrives with a significant commercial partner lineup.

L'Oréal Paris India and Ai+ Nova Smartphone are the presenting partners, while Center Fresh has joined as the co-powered-by partner.

Saregama is the music partner.

Further category partnerships are under discussion, while additional details about the contestants and final launch schedule are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

For Rusk Media, Volume 2 represents the next stage in turning I-Popstar from a successful original music show into a repeatable entertainment franchise capable of operating across multiple markets.

I-Popstar Returns for Second Volume

I-Popstar was created by Rusk Media as an original Indian pop-music talent format built around:

emerging artists and original music.

Rather than focusing only on performers interpreting established songs, the format is designed to provide visibility to artists developing their own musical identities.

That distinction places I-Popstar within India's rapidly expanding independent-music ecosystem.

Digital distribution has significantly lowered the barriers that once separated emerging musicians from national audiences.

Artists can now build careers through:

streaming,

YouTube,

social media,

short-form video,

and live performances

without relying entirely on traditional film-music pathways.

I-Popstar is designed to operate within this changing environment.

Neha Kakkar Joins Mentor Lineup

One of the biggest additions to Volume 2 is:

Neha Kakkar.

She joins:

Aditya Rikhari

and:

KING

as mentors for the new season.

The combination brings together artists with experience across mainstream popular music, independent music and contemporary Indian pop.

Mentorship is central to the format because contestants are evaluated on more than vocal performance alone.

They are expected to develop as:

performers,

original artists,

and audience-facing personalities.

That reflects the realities of the modern music business, where musicians increasingly need to build both songs and recognisable personal brands.

Aditya Rikhari Returns to I-Popstar

Aditya Rikhari continues his association with I-Popstar after serving as one of the mentors in the first season.

Rikhari's presence is particularly relevant to the programme's independent-music positioning.

India's streaming economy has allowed independent singer-songwriters to reach audiences without requiring every successful song to be attached to a film.

This has expanded opportunities for:

original songwriting,

distinctive musical identities,

and artist-led releases.

Rikhari's own career represents the type of artist journey I-Popstar is attempting to encourage among emerging musicians.

KING Also Returns as Mentor

KING is another returning mentor.

His career demonstrates how India's boundaries between:

independent music,

hip-hop,

pop,

and mainstream commercial entertainment

have become increasingly fluid.

Artists can now begin through digital-first channels and subsequently build:

streaming audiences,

concert businesses,

brand partnerships,

and mainstream collaborations.

This gives emerging musicians more potential routes to commercial success than the traditional playback-focused model.

I-Popstar's mentor lineup is designed around that changing structure.

Wicked Sunny Returns as Host

Wicked Sunny, or Vikalp Dwivedi, will return to host Volume 2.

A returning host provides continuity as Rusk Media develops I-Popstar into a recurring franchise.

The host's role is especially important in reality entertainment because the format depends on more than performances.

It also requires:

contestant narratives,

mentor interactions,

challenges,

results,

and audience engagement

to be connected into an ongoing entertainment experience.

Volume 2 Will Run for 18 Episodes

The new season will consist of:

18 episodes.

These will unfold across:

three phases.

Contestants will participate in weekly challenges designed around three principal areas:

performance,

originality,

and:

audience connection.

This structure reflects the skills required to build a contemporary music career.

Technical ability remains important.

But a commercially successful artist must also develop:

distinctiveness,

stage presence,

songs,

identity,

and a relationship with listeners.

The competition format attempts to test those qualities over the course of the season.

Originality Remains Central to the Format

One of I-Popstar's defining ideas is its emphasis on:

original music.

Conventional music competitions have often relied heavily on contestants performing established songs.

That model can demonstrate vocal ability.

It does not necessarily demonstrate whether a contestant can develop a sustainable career as an original artist.

I-Popstar seeks to move closer to the artist-development model by emphasising performers capable of:

writing,

composing,

singing,

and developing their own musical identity.

For India's independent music industry, this distinction is commercially significant.

Volume 1 Generated More Than 2.06 Billion Song Streams

Rusk Media is bringing back the format following substantial music consumption generated by its first outing.

According to the company, music associated with Volume 1 generated more than:

2.06 billion streams

across:

Spotify,

YouTube,

YouTube Music,

Apple Music,

and Amazon Music.

The scale of that consumption is central to Rusk Media's argument that I-Popstar can operate beyond the conventional reality-show cycle.

A talent programme may attract viewers while it is being broadcast.

A successful music IP can continue generating consumption after the episodes themselves have ended.

Maan Panu's I'm Done Emerged as Breakout Track

The standout song from the first volume was:

I'm Done

by:

Maan Panu.

Rusk Media said the track accounted for approximately:

1.76 billion streams

across its two registered releases.

The performance demonstrates why original music can be strategically valuable to a talent format.

A successful song can develop an independent lifecycle.

Listeners may discover it:

during the programme,

through streaming recommendations,

on YouTube,

or through social media.

The track can therefore continue building audience reach independently of the show itself.

Volume 1 Generated 1.46 Billion-Plus Impressions

The first season also produced a substantial digital footprint.

Rusk Media reported more than:

1.46 billion impressions

across digital and social channels.

It also recorded more than:

68 million engagements.

These metrics matter to the commercial proposition surrounding Volume 2.

Advertisers increasingly evaluate entertainment partnerships not simply through passive reach but through:

interaction,

sharing,

conversation,

and cultural relevance.

A programme capable of producing both music streams and social engagement can offer brands multiple audience touchpoints.

Rusk Media Wants I-Popstar to Become a Franchise

Rusk Media Co-Founder and COO Shantanu Singh has said I-Popstar was designed from the beginning as:

a franchise.

The first season demonstrated that the format could generate both audience engagement and music consumption.

The company is now attempting to scale that model.

Its strategy involves expanding I-Popstar across:

languages,

markets,

music,

entertainment,

and commercial partnerships.

That approach can potentially turn the property into a broader entertainment ecosystem rather than a single-season reality programme.

I-Popstar Has Already Expanded Into Tamil

Rusk Media has already taken the I-Popstar concept to:

Tamil audiences.

The regional expansion provides an early demonstration of how the format can travel across languages.

India is particularly suited to this strategy because its music market is highly multilingual.

Hindi represents only one part of the opportunity.

Large music audiences exist across:

Tamil,

Telugu,

Punjabi,

Bengali,

Marathi,

Malayalam,

Kannada,

and other languages.

A format that can be localised while preserving its core identity potentially has a much larger addressable audience.

L'Oréal Paris India Joins as Presenting Partner

Volume 2 will be presented by:

L'Oréal Paris India

alongside:

Ai+ Nova Smartphone.

Bringing major consumer brands into the show from the outset strengthens the commercial foundation of the new season.

Music properties are attractive to advertisers because they can reach:

younger consumers,

culture-driven audiences,

and highly active social-media users.

Brands can also participate across the entire season rather than relying on isolated advertising spots.

This creates opportunities for deeper association with the programme.

Ai+ Nova Smartphone Also Becomes Presenting Partner

Ai+ Nova Smartphone is the second presenting partner for the season.

Smartphone brands have a natural relationship with digital-first entertainment.

Phones are central to how younger audiences:

discover music,

watch videos,

create content,

communicate,

and interact with artists.

A music property therefore provides a context in which technology brands can connect products with entertainment and youth culture.

The partnership also demonstrates how Rusk Media is positioning I-Popstar as a platform for commercial integrations rather than simply an entertainment programme.

Center Fresh Joins as Co-Powered-By Partner

Center Fresh has joined Volume 2 as the:

co-powered-by partner.

The brand is part of Perfetti Van Melle India.

The company has positioned its association around the themes of:

fresh music,

new voices,

and emerging artists.

For advertisers, reality and talent formats can provide sustained visibility because brands remain associated with the programme over multiple episodes.

That differs from buying individual advertisements around unrelated content.

Saregama Comes On Board as Music Partner

Saregama has joined the new volume as:

music partner.

A music partner can play an important role in extending the commercial life of songs beyond the programme itself.

Modern music discovery is fragmented across:

video,

audio streaming,

social media,

and short-form content.

The success of a talent property therefore depends partly on whether its music can continue circulating after an episode has been released.

A strong music-distribution ecosystem can help emerging artists convert television or digital exposure into repeat listening.

Additional Brand Partnerships Are Under Discussion

Rusk Media has said further:

category partnerships

are currently being discussed.

This indicates that the commercial structure around Volume 2 may expand before or during the launch.

Brands increasingly want to participate in entertainment properties through:

integrations,

content,

digital extensions,

creator collaborations,

and social campaigns.

A multi-episode music property can offer all of these possibilities.

The challenge is ensuring commercial integrations remain compatible with the audience experience.

I-Popstar Targets Young Music-First Audiences

Rusk Media has positioned I-Popstar around a:

young, music-first audience.

This demographic is particularly important to advertisers because younger consumers spend substantial amounts of time across:

streaming platforms,

social media,

short-form video,

and creator-led entertainment.

They are also less dependent on conventional linear television than previous generations.

Entertainment companies therefore need formats designed around how these viewers actually consume media.

I-Popstar's music-plus-social model is intended to address that shift.

Music Reality Shows Are Evolving Beyond Television

India has a long history of successful music reality programmes.

Traditionally, these shows were primarily built for:

television audiences.

Digital distribution has changed the format.

A modern music competition can simultaneously generate:

full episodes,

individual performances,

original songs,

short clips,

social content,

streaming releases,

and artist fandom.

This gives a single entertainment property significantly more potential content than a traditional linear programme.

Each contestant can effectively become a separate digital-content channel around the wider show.

Streaming Changes the Value of a Talent Show

Streaming also changes how success can be measured.

Historically, the primary performance indicator for a reality programme was:

viewership.

A music-led digital format can be evaluated across additional metrics such as:

song streams,

video views,

followers,

social engagement,

and long-term artist consumption.

This can help determine whether the programme actually creates commercially sustainable artists rather than merely temporary television personalities.

Rusk Media's emphasis on the streaming performance of Volume 1 reflects this broader measurement model.

Original Music Can Create Long-Term IP Value

Original songs also create assets that can remain valuable after a season ends.

A cover performance is primarily valuable as:

content.

An original song can become:

intellectual property.

If a track succeeds, it may continue generating:

streams,

licensing opportunities,

live-performance demand,

and audience discovery.

This makes original music strategically important for entertainment companies attempting to build long-term franchises.

The music itself becomes part of the value created by the programme.

Artists Need Audience-Building Skills

Volume 2's focus on audience connection reflects another major change in the music business.

Artists today increasingly operate as:

media brands.

They need to communicate with listeners through:

Instagram,

YouTube,

streaming profiles,

live performances,

and other digital channels.

A musician can have strong technical ability but struggle commercially without a recognisable identity or audience relationship.

The show's weekly challenges are therefore designed to evaluate more than singing alone.

Independent Music Has Gained Greater Visibility in India

India's independent music ecosystem has expanded significantly as digital distribution has reduced dependence on film soundtracks.

Historically, Bollywood and regional cinema played an unusually dominant role in Indian popular music.

Film music remains enormously important.

But artists now have more opportunities to build audiences around standalone releases.

Streaming platforms and social media allow songs to succeed independently of movies.

This creates greater room for:

singer-songwriters,

rappers,

producers,

and genre-specific artists.

Rusk Media Is Increasing Investment in Owned IP

I-Popstar also fits into Rusk Media's broader strategy of developing:

owned entertainment intellectual property.

The company has been expanding across youth-focused content and digital platforms.

In 2026, Rusk Media raised:

₹100 crore

in a pre-Series C funding round led by Nazara Technologies, with participation from existing and institutional investors.

The company said the capital would support the expansion of successful youth-oriented IP, including:

I-Popstar

and:

Engaged.

The strategy also includes expanding content into additional languages and international markets.

Funding Supports Broader Content Expansion

Rusk Media's recent funding provides additional context for the scale-up of I-Popstar.

The company has said it plans to invest across:

content,

platforms,

technology,

and new formats.

It is also developing its proprietary mobile entertainment destination:

Alright! TV.

Alongside video entertainment, the company has identified opportunities in:

sports,

audio-first formats,

and AI-supported production.

I-Popstar therefore sits within a broader attempt to build a diversified youth-entertainment company rather than a single-format production studio.

Brand-Funded IP Can Create Alternative Economics

The extensive partner lineup also illustrates an alternative model for financing premium digital entertainment.

Instead of depending entirely on:

subscriptions

or:

platform commissions,

content companies can build properties supported by:

advertising,

sponsorship,

music partnerships,

and brand integrations.

This model requires significant audience scale and advertiser interest.

But successful IP can potentially create several revenue streams around the same property.

For Rusk Media, the strong first-season engagement metrics provide an important foundation for attracting commercial partners to Volume 2.

Festive Quarter Could Strengthen Advertiser Interest

The September launch places I-Popstar Volume 2 within India's important:

festive marketing period.

Consumer brands typically increase advertising activity ahead of major festivals and seasonal shopping.

Young digital audiences are especially valuable during this period because spending rises across categories including:

beauty,

smartphones,

fashion,

food,

and entertainment.

The timing therefore gives Rusk Media an opportunity to align the show's audience with a period of heightened advertiser demand.

Volume 2 Will Test Whether First-Season Momentum Can Scale

The central challenge for the new season will be converting the first volume's performance into a durable franchise.

The first season generated substantial streaming and social numbers.

Volume 2 now needs to demonstrate that this success can be:

repeated,

expanded,

and commercialised

without losing the format's focus on emerging artists.

Returning mentors provide continuity.

Neha Kakkar adds greater mainstream recognition.

Major brand partnerships provide commercial support.

The next test will be whether the new contestants and their original music can generate comparable audience attachment.

Conclusion

Rusk Media's I-Popstar is returning for Volume 2 in September 2026 with Neha Kakkar joining Aditya Rikhari and KING as mentors and Wicked Sunny returning as host.

The new season will run across 18 episodes and three phases, with weekly challenges evaluating contestants on performance, originality and their ability to build meaningful audience connections.

The commercial ecosystem around the franchise has also expanded. L'Oréal Paris India and Ai+ Nova Smartphone are presenting partners, Center Fresh is the co-powered-by partner, and Saregama has joined as music partner, with further partnerships under discussion.

Volume 2 arrives with significant expectations after Rusk Media reported more than 2.06 billion song streams, 1.46 billion digital and social impressions and 68 million engagements from the first season.

The company has already expanded the I-Popstar format into Tamil and intends to develop the property further across languages and markets.

For India's music industry, the larger significance lies in the format's focus on creating original artists rather than simply identifying strong performers.

If Volume 2 can translate competition exposure into sustained music consumption and artist fandom, I-Popstar could strengthen its position as a scalable homegrown franchise within India's rapidly developing independent-pop ecosystem.