MUMBAI: After a distinguished 14-year career in the high-stakes world of corporate insurance, Divya Gupta, a trailblazer who started her own advisory at 22, has orchestrated a remarkable career transition, founding one of India’s most unique and transformative music schools: Goa Jazz Academy (GJA).
Gupta’s journey from managing property, liability, and business interruption insurance for India’s largest corporates to leading a vibrant music community began with a personal turning point in Goa. Despite her success, including experiencing firsthand the rapid scaling of a startup from 20 to 200 people, Divya recognized a deeper calling. “I loved the work,” she recalls, “But after 14 years, I was running on empty. I needed a new chapter.”
Inspired by her husband Karan Khosla’s journey as a jazz guitarist, she began a new chapter—driven by a clear gap she saw in the music education landscape.. “There was no space where adults could just learn music seriously, without judgment or pressure,” says Divya. “Most of the music education space was either for kids, rigid in its curriculum, or priced in a way that made it inaccessible.” More importantly, she saw a need for an immersive environment that fostered community, growth, and collaboration among learners.
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In 2020, Divya co-founded Goa Jazz Academy (GJA) with a vision to make serious music education available to all, regardless of whether they were pursuing a degree. What began as intimate one-on-one classes and jam sessions has rapidly evolved into a nationally recognized academy. GJA now offers a full-year program, ensemble training, performance showcases, and masterclasses with international faculty, providing structured learning in jazz, funk, soul, and blues.
GJA’s unique approach combines the accessibility of community learning with the rigor of global music pedagogy, attracting a diverse student body from across India, including working professionals, teenagers, aspiring musicians, and retirees. Many travel to Goa for immersive workshops, while others engage through flexible, mentor-led online classes.
The academy’s true distinction lies in its culture. “Jazz isn’t just about the music,” Divya explains. “It’s about listening, responding, and making space — that’s what our classes are about too. It’s a learning environment that feels alive.” GJA fosters a loyal following through regular jams , community concerts, and collaborations with Indian and international artists.
Divya Gupta’s transition underscores her belief that “Education doesn’t need to be institutional to be transformational. It should create space for growth, not just deliver a syllabus.” Her past experience in insurance continues to inform her work at GJA, not only in building systems and scaling teams but crucially, in listening closely to what people truly seek from music education. “People don’t always know what they want from music education,” she concludes. “They just know they want to feel more connected. That’s where we come in.”
