India's vinyl revival finds its groove

Melting plastic pellets into chunky discs then squashed flat, a worker presses records in what claims to be the first vinyl plant to open in India in decades.

Warm music with a nostalgic crackle fills the room -- a Bollywood tune from a popular Hindi movie.

"I'm like a kid in a candy shop," grins Saji Pillai, a music publishing veteran in India's entertainment capital Mumbai, who began pressing in August.

The revival of retro records among Indian music fans mirrors a global trend that has seen vinyl sales explode from the United States to Britain and Brazil.

Pillai, 58, entered the music industry as "vinyl was just going out".

He spent the last few years importing records from Europe for his music label clients.

But he took the decision to open his own plant -- cutting import taxes and shipping times -- to focus on Indian artists and market tastes from Bollywood to indie pop after recording "growing interest".

Retailers including Walmart have embraced the retro format, and megastars including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles have sent pressing plants around the world into overdrive.

In India, the scale of revival is far smaller -- in part due to lower household incomes -- but younger fans are now joining in the trend.

Pillai admitted the industry was still "challenging" but said the market was "slowly growing".

Vynyl record systems do not come cheap.

A decent turntable, sound system and 10 records cost fans 50,000-100,000 rupees ($600-$1,180), the lower end of which is more than double the average monthly salary.

But for those who can afford it, the old system offers a new experience.

"You go to the collection, take it out carefully... You end up paying more attention," said 26-year-old Sachin Bhatt, a design director who grew up downloading songs.

"You hear new details, you make new mental observations... There is a ritual to it."

Vinyl records create a "personal, tangible connection to the music we love", Bhatt added.

"I know a lot of young kids who have vinyl, even if they don't have a player. It's a way for them to show their love for the music."

Vinyl is a "completely different" experience than "shoving his AirPods" into his ears and going for a run, said 23-year-old Mihir Shah, with a collection of around 50 records.

"It makes me feel present," he said.

Catering to these fans is a group of record stores, complementing the old records on sale in alleyway shops and flea markets.

"There's been a huge resurgence," said Jude De Souza, 36, who runs the Mumbai record store The Revolver Club, saying the growing interest dovetailed with the wider availability of audio gear and records.