Abhijit Pohankar

Abhijit Pohankar’s musical identity reflects a rare synthesis of tradition, innovation, and global sensibility. Born into one of India’s most respected classical music families, he was immersed in Hindustani music from an early age under the influence of his father, Pandit Ajay Pohankar. While firmly grounded in classical principles, Abhijit developed a distinctive artistic path by adapting Indian classical music to the keyboard—an approach that has set him apart as a unique voice in contemporary Indian music.

His breakthrough album, Piya Bawari, established him as a major force in the independent music scene, earning critical acclaim for its sophisticated blend of classical ragas, electronic textures, and modern arrangements. In 2003, he achieved international recognition as the only Indian artist of his time to be featured in the renowned Buddha Bar compilation series in France, marking a significant moment for Indian fusion music on a global platform.

Over the past two and a half decades, Abhijit Pohankar has collaborated with a wide spectrum of eminent artists across genres, including Hariharan, Ghulam Ali, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Roopkumar Rathod, Rekha Bhardwaj, Javed Ali, and Papon. He has also created large-scale musical productions with iconic dancers such as Sonal Mansingh and Kumudini Lakhia, expanding the scope of fusion into interdisciplinary performance. His concept-driven projects, including Bollywood Gharana—which reinterprets popular film melodies through a classical lens—have attracted millions of listeners online and set new trends in live concert programming.

With more than 35 albums released across major digital platforms and over 200 concerts performed worldwide, Abhijit Pohankar ranks among the most recorded and widely heard independent musicians in India. His recent work, The Hazrat Amir Khusrau Project, reimagines bandish, tarana, and Sufi compositions in a contemporary sonic framework, reaffirming his commitment to renewing classical heritage through modern expression.