Shankar Mahadevan Academy turns 15

At a press meet at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies Centre (SAIACS) in Bengaluru, the air buzzed with more than just media chatter. It carried echoes of swaras, stories, and something deeply personal.

“We never knew this day would come so fast,” said Shankar Mahadevan, eyes crinkling with joy, reflecting on the 15-year journey of the Shankar Mahadevan Academy (SMA) — a dream that started with 15 students, most of them his nieces and nephews, and is today a global musical movement spanning 94 countries. “It felt like a reunion of purpose,” said the Palakkad-based singer and composer. 

The Shankar Mahadevan Academy, founded in 2011 by Shankar and technology entrepreneur Sridhar Ranganathan, was a pioneer of sorts, attempting to do something unique at the time: offering online music education. “People laughed. Music? Online? Will it even work?” Shankar recalled. It did not just work, it soared.

Today, over 50,000 students have learned through the academy’s unique digital platform, with more than half a million live classes taught. Numbers tell only part of the story. To celebrate its 15th year, the academy is launching courses that go far beyond traditional syllabi, including Garbh Sangeet, a course for expecting mothers that uses classical ragas to create emotional and spiritual connections before birth.

“Inside the academy, we call it ‘minus one to infinity, ’” smiled Ranganathan. The poetic phrase captures a powerful belief — that music is not just for learning or performing, but for living, healing, and bonding. Another offering, the Playback Singing Series, is equally ambitious — a rigorous, multi-year training program that fuses classical fundamentals with film music, preparing aspirants for the nuanced world of playback singing.

Over the years, SMA has expanded into other avenues, including Sangam, a student-teacher music festival, and Prayag, an elite stage for dedicated learners. “These are not just students. They are sadhakas,” said Shankar. “This is not just education — it’s an emotional legacy.”

From children barely old enough to walk, to 70-year-olds who have never sung before, SMA has bridged generations. “When I see a grandfather in Toronto learning alongside his granddaughter in Bengaluru… It’s magical,” Mahadevan shared.

The academy has also given back, launching initiatives including SMA Nirvana — live musical performances streamed to patients in hospitals and hospices, SMA Muskara, a pension program for aged or injured musicians, and Joyful Choir, an inclusive initiative for children on the autism spectrum.

Their nonprofit wing has helped bring music education to children in Dharavi, Goa, and now, through their newest initiative — Reach Out India — to students in remote villages via internet-powered classrooms.

“One teacher in Ahmedabad is teaching kids in Kumbakonam — and they all performed for me,” said Shankar , admitting that the journey has given him a deeper sense of fulfilment. “I’ve always known music entertains. But through this academy, I learnt that music can transform.”