In August 2006, the National Centre for the Performing Arts formed The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), the country's first fully professional symphony orchestra, offering two seasons of western classical music concerts each year, in September and February, in Mumbai. The result of an on-going collaboration between the NCPA and the internationally acclaimed Kazakh violinist, Marat Bisengaliev, who serves as the orchestra's Music Director, the SOI has now become India's foremost western classical music ensemble. Players are recruited from an international field, but the orchestra places a great emphasis on developing musical potential within India itself. To date, there are 16 Indian players (Indian musicians and persons of Indian origin) representing the finest local talent and providing a solid foundation for the future of orchestral playing in this country. The SOI also has teachers in residence who train and nurture young talent.

The orchestra has also begun to tour nationally and to take music into communities in order to enthuse new and young audiences around India.