My goal as a quaternary geologist is to investigate the past sedimentary records (fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian) and surface processes associated with changing climate and/or tectonics to advance our fundamental knowledge of how the Earth’s surface changes through time. I specialize in quaternary geochronology, geomorphology, paleohydrology and sedimentology. My research involves the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods, viz, coarse grain, fine grain and single grain methods using quartz and feldspar. I am actively involved in understanding the fundamentals of luminescence physics to explore its new applicability in geosciences apart from being used as a classical quaternary dating technique. Currently, I am studying the impact of chemical weathering on the luminescence properties of silicate minerals (especially feldspar) and its implications for luminescence dating and soil evolution. My past research involved developing new luminescence-based methodology for provenance fingerprinting and to quantitatively estimate the sediment influx to the mainstreams by their tributaries. I also contributed to studies on the chronology of fluvial terraces in the Himalayas and archaeological sites in southern India, focusing on terrace evolution during the late Pleistocene–Holocene to disentangle tectonic and climatic influences. My doctoral research on the Kaveri River Basin (India) linked monsoon- floods to climatic transitions and explored the role of sea level in deltaic evolution.