Yamaha Music India made the announcement at a glittering event in the music emperor’s hometown Chennai. While the event saw Yamaha leaders unveiling their achievements and growth strategies for India, Rahman appeared on stage for the formal signing.What followed was a story of amazing insight through a session conducted by author and senior film journalist, Rana Siddiqui Zaman.In a touching story of life coming full circle, Rahman reveals what made him accept the offer to become the brand ambassador. With pride, excitement and nostalgia in his voice, he opened up to a question about what makes him talk about Yamaha with such enthusiasm. “I have been using Yamaha musical instruments since the age of 12. After my father’s death, my mother used to rent Yamaha musical instruments to run the household”. He especially liked playing the portable piano because he could not buy one for a long time as it was quite expensive then. Gradually, as Rahman’s life got better with his mother’s dedication to music and her hard work and extraordinary skills, he was able to not only buy several of them for his KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, but also keep a collection of them to create music at every possible stage of his life.“What started as a wish is now a reality.” However, his preference for Yamaha is due to the “high quality and reliability” of its equipment more than anything else.To a question on how Yamaha is strategizing its plans for music lovers in India in the future, Yamamoto Taketoshi, Managing Director, Yamaha Music India, replied, “Since music is at the core of Yamaha’s philosophy, India’s rich musical heritage deserves global recognition.” Through our ‘Made in India’ initiative and our collaboration with AR Rahman, we aim to inspire the next generation of musicians and expand structured music education across India.“But what are your plans? To which Ryoji Maruyama, sales unit head, said, “Our mission goes beyond instruments. We are committed to nurturing musical communities through workshops, school collaborations and rural outreach programs. This partnership strengthens our vision of making music accessible to every aspiring artist. You will soon hear a lot of good news from us for India,” he said with a meaningful smile.It is interesting to know that Yamaha already runs 500 music schools in India and is going to expand more. It belongs to Yamaha’s “Music School Project”.On what kind of legacy Rehman wants to leave, he reiterated that Yamaha’s ‘Made in India’ focus is making quality equipment more accessible. “This initiative is already benefiting the young talents being developed at my own KM Music Conservatory and The Sunshine Orchestra. If we continue to mentor young artists and strengthen music education, Indian musicians can lead on the global stage.”Now he does not say that sound engineers or new musicians, those who play musical instruments will have to run for jobs. “Together, we are creating a solid background for them,” he said with a twinkle of pride in his voice.