Mumbai: Abbey Road Institute Mumbai, in collaboration with Bay Owl Studios, has announced the appointment of two accomplished professionals—Anushka Lewis and Puneet Samtani—to its senior academic leadership team. Anushka joins as Academic Facilitator, while Puneet takes over as Head Lecturer. The move signals the institute’s commitment to blending global music education standards with local industry excellence as it prepares to welcome its first batch of students this year.
Anushka Lewis, also known by her artist moniker “Nush,” is one of India’s few contemporary harpists and a recognized singer-songwriter and composer. A graduate of KM Music Conservatory and Berklee College of Music’s summer program, she has held senior academic positions at the True School of Music, founded Offset Education, and co-created Out of the Box (OOTB), a national network for music educators.
Puneet Samtani brings over two decades of rich experience in sound engineering, spanning film, television, and commercial audio. A Trinity College London and SAE alumnus, he has worked with leading names like Yash Raj Films, Netflix, Nirvana Studios, and Clearlight Productions. Prior to this, he led sound engineering education at Seamedu School of Pro Expressionism, overseeing curriculum design and nationwide academic operations.
Varun Parikh, Director of Abbey Road Institute Mumbai, commented, “We’re thrilled to welcome Anushka and Puneet to our senior academic team at Abbey Road Institute Mumbai. Their combined experience spanning performance, engineering, education leadership and curriculum design, will be invaluable in building a learning environment that’s both creatively inspiring and professionally rigorous. As we prepare to welcome our first cohort this year, their leadership will play a key role in delivering an academic experience that’s grounded in real-world industry practice.”
Anushka Lewis shared her excitement, “As an artist and educator, I’ve always been driven by the idea that creativity and learning aren’t separate paths—they inform and deepen each other. In this new role, I’m excited to bring both those worlds together. To be contributing to Abbey Road Institute, which is a space rooted in the legacy of one of the world’s most iconic studios is a privilege for me. I’m looking forward to this profile where I get to work with lecturers, industry mentors and students alike and get to create opportunities that are rooted in meaningful artistic exploration.”
Puneet Samtani added, “From growing up listening to music born at Abbey Road Studios, to being inspired to live and study sound in the UK, and now, nearly two decades later, joining Abbey Road Institute to help train the next generation of audio professionals, I’m stepping into this chapter with deep gratitude, enthusiasm, and humility.”
Together, Anushka and Puneet will shape the institute’s academic programs, mentor students, lead guest sessions with industry experts, and support final placements.
