Determine and dedicate

“What set me apart from most kids was my love for science, particularly mathematics, which is often considered a dreadful subject. The internet had just started coming up when I was in school, and I used to google about discoveries now and then, which streamlined me towards science. It was during my B.E. in Mechanical Engineering when I was introduced to the subject of materials sciences which specifically piqued my interest. I was curious to understand how different materials had different crystal structures and how that influenced their properties. Along with some of my faculty members, I started a project right in that year on materials sciences. We tried to devise a method to utilize the waste toner from photostatic copiers more effectively. A part of the influence on this project also came from my father’s business which dealt with photocopiers. In a few years, the methodology for synthesizing the hybrid black toner that we designed was patented, which gave me a boost of confidence to work further in this area. Initially, my passion was more towards going into the industry. However, in my fifth semester, I attended a talk on research opportunities in India, which changed my perspective. Deep down, I already loved research, and I think that talk was just a push for me in the right direction.

I started my PhD at the age of 22, right after my Bachelor’s, something we usually don’t see. I was fortunate…