About

I study planets that are still trying to figure out who they want to be when they grow up; much like me.

More specifically, I’m an observational exoplanet researcher deeply interested in young planetary systems- worlds that are in the middle of becoming what they truly will be. At the same time, I also study more mature planets, including sub-Neptunes that have, for some time now, settled into adulthood but still carry clues about their past. I am fascinated by how planetary lives unfold across time. My interest particularly lies in connecting the evolutionary story of young planets with that of mature sub-Neptunes, tracing how formation histories continue to shape observable properties much later in a planet’s life. Much of my work involves understanding planetary atmospheres, architectures, and the messy evolutionary processes that connect these stages.

I also genuinely enjoy talking about science, whether through public lectures, outreach events, or just informal conversations. Explaining exoplanets to people who do not spend their days thinking about transmission spectra is a challenge, but it is also a great joy. It forces clarity, invites me to question our methods more carefully, and often reminds me why I started doing this in the first place.

Recently, I became a Principal Investigator on an accepted JWST programme, which is both thrilling and mildly surreal. It still feels strange, in a good way, that asking questions about planets hundreds of light-years away is considered a normal job, and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.

Long before telescopes entered the picture, cricket did. I played through school and college, and I still remain very invested in the sport. Especially Test cricket. I think Test cricket prepares you well for the research lifestyle. There’s a slow burn to it. You need tactical patience. Nothing dramatic happens for hours and then everything changes.

I’m also unapologetically obsessed – yes, obsessed – with history. My book collection includes an unreasonable number of non-fiction titles that revolve around empires, revolutions, migrations, and intellectual movements.

My other great weakness is films. I’m particularly drawn to noir, documentaries, and the cinema of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak. I like films that linger; the kind that keep you thinking about them days later. My documentary interests vary widely, ranging from the Cold War to climate change to the secret lives of wasps and bees in the same week.

Across all of this runs a very simple pattern: I tend to sit with things. With questions. With matches that stretch into the fifth day. With books that require rereading. With ideas that take time to make sense. The universe is patient, and I’m trying to learn from that.

I currently live in the United States, where I work as a postdoctoral researcher. I also share my life- along with many ongoing debates about science, history, cinema, and what to cook for dinner- with my loving wife, who remains my favourite collaborator of all time and my best friend.