Basavaraj was born and raised in Kalakeri, Gadag district, Karnataka. He completed his B.Sc. from KLE’s JT College, Gadag (affiliated with Karnataka University, Dharwad) in 2016, and subsequently earned his M.Sc. in Chemistry from Karnataka University, Dharwad (2016–2018). He worked at the R&D lab of Syngene, Bengaluru (2018–2019), and later served as a Project Associate at CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad (2020–2022). He joined Prof. Deepti Kalsi’s group at IIT Bombay in July 2023 to pursue his Ph.D.

His research interests includes : 3d metal-catalyzed organic transformation, Development of sustainable photocatalytic systems, Magnetocatalysis, Surface organometallic chemistry
Outside the lab, he enjoys writing blogs, reading books, and spending time in nature.

Rahul completed his M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from MES Abasaheb Garware College, Pune (affiliated with Savitribai Phule Pune University) in 2023. He qualified CSIR-UGC NET (December 2023) and MH-SET (2024).
His research interests include:C–F bond activation, Circular chemistry, Metal-free sustainable transformations, Single-atom catalysis
Beyond academics, Rahul enjoys watching movies, traveling, and exploring new experiences.

Mukul was born and raised in Narnaul, Mahendragarh district, Haryana. He completed his B.Sc. from Government P.G. College, Narnaul (affiliated with MDU Rohtak) in 2020 and earned his M.Sc. in Chemistry from the Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer. During his Master's, he developed a keen interest in organometallic chemistry, homogeneous catalysis, and reaction development. He joined Prof. Deepti Kalsi’s group at IIT Bombay in July 2024 to pursue his Ph.D.
His research interests include: Small molecule activation, Hydrogenation reactions, CO₂ valorization, Synthesis of non-trivial organometallic complexes
In his free time, Mukul enjoys playing volleyball, traveling, running, and is a huge fan of the Marvel Universe.

Nilesh joined Prof. Deepti Kalsi’s group in December 2024. He completed his M.Sc. from IIT Kanpur.
His research interests focus on Visible light-mediated C–C, C–N, and C–H bond activations

Shweta is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the DK group, having joined in September 2024. She completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai.
Ph.D. Thesis Title: Development of Sustainable Catalysts for Oxidative Organic Transformations
Her research interests include: Synthesis of novel photocatalytic materials, Biomass valorization, Small molecule activation.

Gayathri joined the DK group as a postdoctoral fellow in May 2025. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur (2021–2024).
Ph.D. Thesis Title: Organic Electronics & Organic Synthesis
Her research interests include: Organic materials synthesis, CO₂ valorization, Surface organometallic chemistry