KOLKATA: Kolkata: For Kolkata-born entrepreneur Randeep Bhattacharya, music was never just background sound. Growing up in a city known for its deep cultural and musical traditions, he saw singing as a shared social experience — something that belonged as much in homes, gatherings and everyday moments as it did on stage.That belief eventually led him to build StarManch, a karaoke and social music platform designed to make singing more accessible to everyday users. What began as a digital platform for music lovers has now found a place inside the newly launched MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV in India, marking an unusual move for a homegrown karaoke app into the connected-car space.The idea came from a simple observation: many people enjoy singing but rarely get the opportunity or confidence to do it beyond informal settings. Bhattacharya wanted to create a platform where users could sing along to familiar tracks, record themselves and connect with others through music, regardless of age, training or professional background.Its integration into the MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV takes that idea into a new environment — the car cabin. The app offers a catalogue of more than 8,000 karaoke tracks across Bollywood songs, devotional music, regional tracks and children’s content. Occupants can use it to sing along and record performances during a journey, turning the vehicle’s entertainment system into a participatory music space rather than a passive listening setup.The development also points to a broader shift in how connected vehicles are being positioned in India. In-car entertainment has largely been dominated by music streaming and video-led features, but StarManch’s inclusion shows how Indian digital products are beginning to enter more specialised use cases within automobiles.Speaking about the journey, Bhattacharya said, “Kolkata has always been a city where music is woven into everyday life. Growing up here inspired my love for music and storytelling. Our vision has always been to make singing more accessible and more social. Taking karaoke beyond the smartphone and into everyday journeys is another step towards making music a natural part of people’s lives. We don’t just want people to listen to music — we want them to become a part of it.”For Bhattacharya, the move from a music platform to an in-car karaoke experience reflects the same impulse that shaped StarManch at the start: to take singing out of formal spaces and place it into everyday life.
