Executive Director, Global Music Institute
Biography & Career Highlights
Megha Balani is a seasoned strategic leader with over 18 years of cross-sector experience, currently serving as Executive Director of Global Music Institute (GMI) along with the Balani Group of Companies. At GMI, she steers long-term vision, academic alignment, global partnerships, and industry engagement, ensuring the institute remains future-ready, connected, and creatively progressive.
Her leadership has shaped GMI’s growth, innovation, and social impact, while her role within the Balani Group focuses on institutional strategy, operational stewardship, and values-led expansion. Megha’s career reflects a blend of strategic thinking, educational reform, and a deep commitment to elevating creative learning ecosystems in India.
Early Career & Music
Megha’s early career spans education management, consulting, legal services, and publishing. Before entering GMI’s leadership, she built strong operational and strategic foundations within the Balani family business and earlier roles in HR and legal frameworks. Although not a performing musician, her professional journey has always been intertwined with creative education, institutional building, and learner-centered development.
Megha Balani early exposure to multidisciplinary sectors shaped her approach to designing environments where music and education intersect through structure, innovation, and purpose-driven pedagogy.
Transition to Entrepreneurship
Megha Balani’s entrepreneurial transition emerged naturally through her involvement in the family-run Balani ecosystem. Her entry into GMI around 2016 marked the beginning of a structured strategic evolution for the institute. She grew from operational leadership into full-spectrum strategic stewardship, eventually becoming Executive Director of GMI by 2023. In 2024, following a period of organisational transition, she stepped into the role of Executive Director of the Balani Group of Companies, guiding a multi-vertical legacy with a modern, sustainable, and progressive outlook. Her journey blends family legacy with entrepreneurial innovation, reflecting a leadership style grounded in long-term vision, culture-building, and community impact.
About The Company
Global Music Institute is India’s leading contemporary music education platform. Established in 2011 by Aditya and Tarun Balani, the institute offers Artist Diplomas, Professional Diplomas, Certificate Courses, summer intensives, and programs in contemporary performance, music production, audio engineering, and songwriting. GMI is distinguished by its international academic partnerships, allowing students to pursue global degree pathways through collaborations with Berklee College of Music, BIMM University, JMC Academy, LASALLE College of the Arts, and SAE University College. The institute’s Greater Noida campus spans two acres and includes a performance auditorium, professional studios, ensemble labs, and residential facilities, creating an immersive creative environment.
The Balani Group, founded in 1987, operates across multiple verticals including Balani Infotech, iGroup Infotech, educational publishing, distribution, and GMI. Under Megha’s growing leadership, the group continues to evolve with a focus on innovation, sustainable expansion, and knowledge-driven impact.
Impact & Vision
Megha Balani impact reflects a blend of institutional development, academic innovation, global integration, and social reform. She has played a central role in aligning GMI’s programs with global standards while ensuring industry relevance, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world exposure. Her development of the Career Development Division strengthened formal industry pathways for students, enabling high placement success across performance, production, media, and creative business sectors. She also expanded industry engagement through masterclasses, festivals, and showcases, connecting the GMI community with the global creative landscape.
Her social impact work stands out through her leadership in the ASoSE project with the Delhi Government, where GMI served as the academic partner for the Performing Arts (Music) specialization. Currently she is co-leading a one a kind mental health project for musicians in India called Its Time To Talk.
She continues to drive GMI toward becoming a holistic, inclusive, and globally connected creative ecosystem that nurtures artist-entrepreneurs and supports diverse cultural expression. Rooted in mindful, purpose-driven leadership, Megha balances her professional commitment with her personal passion for culinary exploration, baking, and slow food. Megha Balani vision remains centered on empowering creative communities, expanding access to quality education, and positioning GMI as a transformative voice in contemporary music learning.
