Academic interests
I am a Doctoral Research Fellow within the ERC-funded project ECOART – An Ecological History of Eurasian Art, which examines early modern Eurasian art through ecological and transregional networks.
My research examines the role of precious stones within early modern global networks of trade and artisanal exchange with a special focus on the Mughal Empire between 16th-18th century. I trace the movement of select kinds of gems across regions, their recontextualization within imperial workshops (karkhanas), and their shifting cultural meanings under successive Mughal rulers. Approaching these stones as both ecological materials and culturally mediated objects, I explore how their extraction, circulation, and use informed artistic production, evolving aesthetic frameworks, and cross-cultural encounters across Eurasia.
Background
Academic
2023-25: Erasmus Mundus MA in Managing Art and Cultural Heritage in Global Markets, earning qualifications from five institutions:
- MA Managing Art and Cultural Heritage in Global Markets (University of Glasgow, UK)
- MA Art Markets (Universidade de Lisboa & ISCTE, Portugal)
- Diploma in Cultural Project Administration (IESA Arts & Culture, France)
- MA Arts and Culture Studies (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands)
2019-20: MA Museum Studies, Newcastle University, UK
2015-19: Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in Painting, IIS University, India
Professional
2025-26: Museum Consultant, India
2025: Intern, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, USA
2022-23: Assistant Curator, City Palace Museum Jaipur, India
2021-22: Assistant Curator, Gyan Museum, India
2020: Volunteer, Woodhorn Museum, UK
Awards
- 2026: Alexander Rave Fellowship, Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Germany (Offer declined)
- 2025: Turing Scheme, UK Government + Arts & Humanities Mobility Scholarship, University of Glasgow (for Internship at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston)
- 2025: June Cockburn Award, University of Glasgow
- 2023-25: Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship, European Commission
- 2019-20: Vice Chancellor's Excellence Scholarship, Newcastle University
Publications
- “Crafting Weapons, Crafting Identity: Koftgiri and the Sikligars of Udaipur Between Heritage and Market”, The Newsletter, Issue 102, International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), April 2026
- “From Royal Courtyards to Heritage Revival in India: The MSMS II Museum’s Cultural Heritage Training Camp”, ICOM Voices, Aug 2025
- “Green Lens from the Perspective of Indian Museums: Case Study of CSMVS”, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), Aug 2023
Conferences
- “Forging Empire: Indian Makers and the Transcultural Journeys of Arms and Armors,” 27th ICOM General Conference, Dubai, Nov 2025 — Awarded Eva-Sofi Ernstell Memorial Bursary (ICOM Arms & Military)
- “Forged in Fire: The Sikligars and the East–West Evolution of Arms and Armors,” Young Scholars’ Symposium in Asian Art, Rijksmuseum & KVVAK, Netherlands, Jun 2025 — Awarded Whistler Scholarship (University of Glasgow)
- “Arna Jharna: Where Folk Culture Meets Sustainable Living Traditions,” Future of Museums and Museology Practices, Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar, Dec 2024 — Awarded Mobility Scholarship (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
- “Chronicles of Curiosities: The Hunterian Museum's Playbook for Transformative Evolution,” University Collections in a Changing World, TU Dresden, Germany, Sep 2024 — Awarded Whistler Scholarship (University of Glasgow)
- “Indigenous Wisdom and Entangled Histories in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” 47th ICOFOM Annual Assembly, University of St Andrews, UK, Jun 2024 — Awarded ICOFOM Young Scholars Grant (ICOM)