India's Noor Chahal and Kayan are among the 30 global artistes selected for the Foundry class of 2022, streaming platform YouTube announced on Tuesday.
Foundry, launched in 2015, is YouTube's incubator for independent music, supporting indie artists at all stages of their careers through annual development classes and release support campaigns.
The new class of musicians also include artists from the US, Korea, Japan, Brazil and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Helping discover and break new artists, while helping them navigate every stage of their career is one of YouTube Music's core goals. This is especially important for independent artists, who are navigating today's increasingly digital landscape to find stability, creative fulfillment, and a global community of fans," said Pawan Agarwal, Director, Music Partnerships (India & South Asia), YouTube.
"Foundry gives independent artists a springboard to success and we're excited to support such emerging artists and reduce barriers along their journey, he added.
Besides Chahal and Kayan, the other artists who made it to the class include Amari Noelle, Ashley Cooke, ART, BIBI, French The Kid, Genesis Owusu, Haru Nemuri, RIMON Roxane Bruneau and Skiifall.
According to Chahal, every independent talent needs support and she is grateful to YouTube for this opportunity
"An artist's success cannot be measured by definite parameters, everyone has their own definition of success. I see Foundry helping my music reach new people and ensure that my potential does not go undiscovered or unacknowledged, said the singer-actor.
Foundry, designed for independent artists who have a vision for their own success and to help them navigate the demands of today's music industry, will provide partner strategy support, marketing promotion, and seed funding for content development that can be used for experimenting with new music to diversifying video creation formats.
Echoing Chahal's sentiments, Mumbai-based musician Ambika Nayak, better known as Kayan, described Foundry as a "perfect program" that can help her grow as an artist.
"YouTube is a crucial platform for artists. To connect with my audience and fans and to have a place to share my work with them is super important. Also, to understand my audience better and work with that kind of information is such a great strength to have. Foundry is the perfect program to help me really grow (in) what I'm working for," she said.