After securing graduation and postgraduation degrees in Botany from Banaras Hindu University with gold medals, I moved to Munich, Germany, for my doctoral degree from Ludwig Maximilian University (awarded in 2004 in Natural Sciences). I continued as a postdoctoral scientist in Helmholtz Centre Munich, working in environmental microbiology. Upon returning to India, I briefly joined MNNIT Allahabad as a founder faculty of Biotechnology, before joining IIT Delhi in 2008 as an Assistant Professor. The job profile at IIT Delhi includes teaching, research, administrative activities, and outreach engagements. Broadly, I work towards attaining environmental and agricultural sustainability through the microbiome. I have been trying to understand the multitude of interactions between plants and the associated microbiome, and have lately ventured into manipulation of the plant microbiome for enhancement of the host’s fitness. I am passionate about teaching, being associated as a course coordinator for one of the first core courses of the department, General Microbiology. Till date 12 PhD students have graduated under my mentorship, and several others in different programmes. I have authored >100 publications, 1 patent, 1 technology transfers, several coveted awards and sponsored projects to my credit.
