AR Rahman on his new music platform, Maajja

Rahman, 54, has been both part of the commercial music industry and a catalyst outside it, for nearly three decades. He’s known for seeking out fresh talent to work with. After setting up a conservatory to train aspiring musicians and then offering free musical training to children who couldn’t afford it, he’s now turned his attention to the struggling independent artists. He and a trio of Canadian entrepreneurs — Noel Kirthiraj, Sen Sachi and Prasana Balachandran — have launched Maajja, promising “creative liberty” and “global reach” to independent musicians.