<p><i>Yamadazyma takamatsuzukensis CBS</i> 10916 strain reported for the first time from Jalandhar region, Punjab, India. The isolation and characterization of the yeast <i>Yamadazyma takamatsuzukensis</i> CBS 10916 strain was collected from soil samples of Jalandhar industrial area, Khala Sanghian, Punjab, coded as JIAKSSS. Pigment extraction was performed using methanol and ethanol, and partial characterization confirmed its chromophoric properties. UV–Visible spectrophotometry revealed two distinct absorption maxima at 340&#xa0;nm and 530&#xa0;nm, suggesting the presence of conjugated chromophores. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy further confirmed functional groups with prominent absorption peaks at 3325.09&#xa0;cm⁻¹ (O–H stretching), 2124.29&#xa0;cm⁻¹ (alkene stretching), 1635.49&#xa0;cm⁻¹ (carboxyl –COOH), 1054.59&#xa0;cm⁻¹ (C–O aldehyde), and 585.11&#xa0;cm⁻¹ (C–H bending), consistent with bioactive pigment molecules. Molecular identification using ITS sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the isolate as <i>Y. takamatsuzukensis</i> CBS 10916, showing 97% sequence similarity with its closest relative, <i>Yamadazyma nakazawae</i> CBS 6700. These findings suggested that this strain could serve as a novel and sustainable source of natural bio-pigments, which may be utilized in textiles, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries upon complete characterization, process optimization, and bioactivity validation.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>