I grew up in Mumbai, a bustling metropolis of 15 million people, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I played cricket in parking lots, earned accolades for both academic and extra-curricular activities, and finally left the city in 1998 and have only returned to it sporadically ever since. After spending two very formative years in Rishi Valley (a residential school), I went to Chennai for my undergraduate studies. I spent 5 years there, slowly discovering how much I liked to learn Math, and finished with a Masters in Mathematics from IIT Madras (receiving a medal for the highest GPA of my graduating class). I then went to Purdue for my PhD. This was the first time I had lived outside my country and I learnt a great deal both about myself and about the world around me in that time.

I moved back to India in 2012 and joined IISER Bhopal, where I have been ever since. I am happily married, have a young child, and am trying hard to balance work with my personal life. I teach, I learn, and I do mathematics at every chance that I get. I am also very invested in what the IISERs are trying to achieve, and I put in a great deal of effort to improve the systems we have here at IISER-B.

Outside of Mathematics and Teaching, my interests include

History

I am trying to learn some history these days, and am fascinated by the archaeology and linguistic history of India. My recent favourite books include ones by Asko Parpola (Roots of Hinduism), David Reich (Who We Are and How We Got Here) and David Anthony (The Horse, The Wheel and Language). I have recently started using Goodreads to track my learning.

Music

I listen to music voraciously, and I am always interested in finding new artists and sounds. My default jam is bad '80s pop, although I am currently listening to Les Amazones D'Afrique (Musow Danse), Cinder Well (Cadence), The Arcs (Electrophonic Chronic) and Tinariwen (Amatssou).

Board and Card Games

I grew up playing card games like Twenty-Eight, Judgement, and its variants, and a variety of board games like Clue, Scotland Yard and many others. Nowadays, I am largely restricted to playing three games: Dominion, Magic: The Gathering, and Settlers of Catan.

Cricket

I follow cricket with a passion. I used to play the game for many years, but time constraints have ensured that I must only follow the game at a distance now. The way the Indian cricket team plays on a given day is often reflected in my mood, and I spend way too much time debating inane aspects of the game with my friends.