I am Crop Physiologist by training which allows me to have a large spectrum of interactions with experts on the subject. I was a Post Doctoral Researcher at AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University System and had collaboration with Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Lubbock, Texas for more than six years since 2006 till 2011. I have been working on R&D projects on drought, heat and nutrient stress since 1999 till today. I was trained as a Drought Stress Physiologist during my Doctoral Degree Program at the Center for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, TNAU, India. I was also awarded Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship for pursuing my Ph. D. in the field of Molecular Biology with specialization in Drought Stress. I was one among the research personnel who developed drought tolerant elite rice lines adapted to target environment. My research agenda is focused broadly on the trait discovery, gene validation and mechanism of abiotic stress tolerance in CIAT's mandate crops with special emphasis on rice. At CIAT, I am using Marker Assisted Breeding and transgenic approaches for the genetic improvement of rice for water and nitrogen use efficiency.