<p class="MsoNormal">I wish to join NICMAR as an Assistant Professor because I see it as a place where my teaching and research can grow together with real impact. For me, an academic career is not only about publishing papers or completing lectures; it is about shaping future professionals and contributing to practical solutions for society. NICMAR&rsquo;s focus on combining academic strength with hands-on industry exposure closely aligns with how I understand education.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The institute&rsquo;s vision of transformative learning, interdisciplinary research, sustainability, ethics, and strong industry interaction resonates deeply with my own journey. During my doctoral studies at IIT Madras, I worked on modelling travel demand and analysing behaviour at both disaggregate and aggregate levels. My research focused on designing customised, context-specific policy interventions to promote sustainable transport in Indian cities. I studied issues such as rising private vehicle use, trip chaining, and gaps in last-mile connectivity, all of which require practical, data-driven solutions. I believe NICMAR provides the right ecosystem to further extend this work, especially given its close engagement with infrastructure development and industry stakeholders.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Currently, as a faculty member at NIT Hamirpur, and earlier as a teaching assistant at IIT Madras, I have seen how meaningful classroom interactions can shape young engineers. Teaching has always been central to my academic path. I enjoy simplifying complex modelling ideas and connecting theory to real-world examples. At NICMAR, I would be eager to teach core transportation courses and relevant electives, while also motivating students to write research papers and present their work in national and international conferences. Such exposure not only builds analytical skills but also confidence and professional communication abilities, preparing them for both higher studies and industry careers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My research experience has also taught me the value of collaboration. During my Ph.D., I worked on projects funded by the Ministry of Education, IMPRINT, and MeitY. These projects required working with multidisciplinary teams and engaging with practical policy challenges. At NICMAR, I look forward to collaborating not only within transportation planning but also with colleagues in data science, construction management, and policy studies. Transport modelling today increasingly requires integration of behavioural insights, big data analytics, and sustainable infrastructure planning, and such collaboration is essential.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the long term, I aim to build a focused research group on travel demand and behavioural modelling for sustainable mobility in Indian cities. I plan to establish an advanced Behavioural Transportation Laboratory equipped with smartphone-based survey systems, driving simulators, and wearable sensors to capture psycho-physiological responses such as heart rate variability and skin conductance. The goal is to integrate technical modelling with behavioural understanding and work closely with city authorities so that research outcomes translate into real policy action.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In essence, I see NICMAR as a place where my academic experience, teaching passion, and long-term research vision can come together to contribute meaningfully to nation-building through quality education and impactful, practice-oriented research</p>