Global IndianstoryUS-based Chef Aarthi Sampath is smashing the glass ceiling in the culinary world

US-based Chef Aarthi Sampath is smashing the glass ceiling in the culinary world

Written by: Charu Thakur

(June 21, 2022) Until a few years ago, Indian chefs were belting out stunning plates of modern Indian food in some of the most popular restaurants in the West, but for US-based chef Aarthi Sampath that term “means nothing” as she says the focus has now shifted to regional cuisines. “You can now find vada pav on the menus in the US. I’m happy that Indian food is finally having its moment in America.” Though it took years to change the narrative of Indian food in the West, the shift is attracting more food lovers to authentic Indian food. Being a Tamilian raised in Mumbai, Aarthi grew up in a family that would eagerly wait to devour food at the dinner table each day. That’s how she fell in love with food, and decades later, that passion translated into work at Michelin star restaurants like Junoon and Breslin Bar in the US, made her the first Indian to win the American reality show Chopped and got her a nomination as the Culinary Icon of India in the US.

But it wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine. From facing racism in the kitchen in the US to finding her feet in a male-dominated industry, Aarthi fought hard to find her ground. And now this Indian chef is dominating the food scene in the West with her culinary prowess. “It wasn’t an easy journey but quite a learning curve for me. The perseverance and love for food helped me push through every hurdle to make a name for myself,” Aarthi tells Global Indian in a video call from New York.

Chef Aarthi Sampath cooking up a storm in the kitchen

A childhood passion translates into a profession

The Chennai-born was in love with theatre as a kid, and acting was what she wanted to pursue as a career. But her family burst the bubble by telling her that “television is for the fair-skinned and it’s a life of struggle.” This was enough to dissuade the young talent from following a childhood dream but little did she know that life had something exciting in store for the girl who always loved food. Like every Indian household, her family, too, would happily devour food at the dinner table each day. Though her love for food was palpable, things started building up only after she saw her first cake rise in the oven.

“At age of 13, I was left mesmerised seeing how four different ingredients could end up making a delectable cake,” says the chef for whom the ball was set rolling after watching Chef Ananda Solomon cook up a storm on television. “That’s when I first thought that I also want to cook on TV,” adds Aarthi who decided to enroll in the Institute of Hotel Management in Jaipur. “My parents were not thrilled with my decision,” laughs the chef who describes her first tryst with professional cooking at The Oberoi Rajvilas in Jaipur as an intern as “shocking and hard”.

“It was difficult adjusting to the long hours at work. The very first day I worked for over 12 hours, and I instantly started regretting my decision,” laughs Aarthi who decided to power through it after finding the right inspiration in chef Mir Zafar Ali. “He is so versatile. Seeing him flip pizzas and make Italian and Indian food with such finesses, I knew I wanted to be like him,” adds Aarthi about her mentor.

The world is her oyster

Gaining some experience, she moved to the Taj Hotels in 2007 and worked with them for four and a half years before applying for a culinary program at Johnson & Wales University in the US. “Back then, TV was becoming a big thing with chefs like Gordon Ramsay taking over. I understood that New York was the epitome of the culinary world. I wanted to see what that world had to offer,” says Aarthi who was keen to smash the glass ceiling. “Most of my colleagues were quitting their jobs and I was scared that I’d be next. I wanted to explore the western style of working, and it led me to the US.”

Chef Aarthi Sampath with Chef Vikas Khanna

The course led her to chef Vikas Khanna’s Michelin-starred restaurant Junoon in New York, where she worked her way up to become the executive chef before moving to the Orlando branch in Florida. However, moving to the US was “an eye-opening experience” for the 36-year-old who found a stark contrast in the workings of the two nations. “We understand and build flavours in India but here it’s more technique-driven. They believe in efficiency and speed. It changed my perspective on how to cook,” says Aarthi who was comparing everything in the beginning. “In India, I was working more with Asian food but after coming to the US, I learnt more about Indian food,” says the chef who is thankful to Junoon for giving her such expansive exposure.

Keeping her head high amid hurdles

This discovery led her to another Michelin star restaurant Breslin Bar in New York by Chef April Bloomfield. But making a mark in an otherwise male-dominated industry wasn’t an easy feat. If she had to “fight through male chauvinism in India”, she became the victim of racism in America. “There have been times when I was asked ‘why are you even cooking in the kitchen’. But I was unfazed because in my mind I would say ‘one day you will tell people that you worked with me’,” says Aarthi.

The years of training in India and the US gave this chef the confidence to participate in the American cooking reality show Chopped in 2016, which she became the first Indian to win. Years ago, she had pinned it on her vision board, and seeing it come true was surreal.

Chef Aarthi Sampath in Tournament of Champions

Giving Indian food an identity

From preparing a lavish dinner for the Billionaire’s Club Dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in NYC to starting her food truck to being a restaurant consultant, a lot has happened in the last six years. She was recently nominated as a Culinary Icon of India in the US, however, a modest Aarthi believes that “there are many other talented people in the industry who deserve to be on the list,” calling herself plain lucky.

The renowned chef, who returned to her roots in 2021 as a judge on MasterChef Tamil, is busy conceptualising her new restaurant that “will come alive by the beginning of the next year.”

Chef Aarthi Sampath is the Culinary Icon of India in US.

Working with biggies like Breslin Bar, Rainbow Room, Chinese Tuxedo, and Baazi NYC, Chef Aarthi has seen the narrative of Indian food changing in the US in the last decade. “For the longest time, terms like ‘modern Indian food’ were catching on in the US. But now it doesn’t make sense as now people are moving to regional cuisines. The Indian chefs in the US are doing a little bit of tinkering like using less oil or adapting to the modern lifestyles, but they are proud of showcasing their food in an authentic way. A lot of chefs are using different techniques they learnt from other places and using them to create old flavours,” says Aarthi who is happy that Indian food is having its moment in America.

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Published on 21, Jun 2022

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An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy | Global Indian

The early days

The story begins in 1974, when Sudha Murty, described as "a slender young woman (with) short, bobbed hair curling around her vivacious face," first crossed paths with Narayana Murthy, thanks to a co-worker, Prasanna. Sudha, who was the first female engineer in TELCO, was living in Pune at the time. She and Prasanna became friends as they rode the same TELCO bus to and from work everyday and Prasanna was always holding a book in his hand. He was also from Karnataka and to Sudha, a connection to home. Usually, Prasanna would be reading a book Sudha had already read before, but one day, he was "engrossed in a writer she had never heard of: George Mikes." The book had been lent to him by his friend and flatmate, who had travelled all over the world and had many adventures. He invited Sudha home to meet him.

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Up close and personal

[caption id="attachment_48454" align="aligncenter" width="620"] An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy | Global Indian Sudha and Narayana Murthy[/caption]

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The book is available for purchase on Amazon

Dr Geetanjali Chopra: Over 50 million lives touched through Wishes and Blessings

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[caption id="attachment_51723" align="aligncenter" width="391"] Dr Geetanjali Chopra | Wishes and Blessings | Global Indian Dr Geetanjali Chopra, founder, Wishes and Blessings[/caption]

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Dr Geetanjali Chopra | Wishes and Blessings | Global Indian

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Learning curve

Learning everything anew was daunting, but she embraced it as an opportunity for personal growth. “My primary mentors became time and patience, as I navigated the unfamiliar territory. Despite facing fears and doubts, I remained steadfast in my decision and refused to dwell on the past. Instead, I focused on moving forward with conviction,” she says. One of the key lessons she has learned from this experience is the importance of resilience. Adapting to change requires a willingness to confront discomfort and uncertainty. She learned how to stay committed to her goals and discovered her own capacity for resilience. She also understood the value of self-reliance and resourcefulness. Without formal guidance, she relied on her own initiative to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to succeed as she built Wishes and Blessings. In hindsight, she has realised that setbacks are inevitable in any significant life transition. “However, it is our response to these setbacks that ultimately determines our success. By embracing change with an open mind and a willingness to learn, we can overcome obstacles and emerge stronger on the other side,” she says.

Dr Geetanjali Chopra | Wishes and Blessings | Global Indian

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Follow Dr Geetanjali Chopra on Instagram and LinkedIn.

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2022 Recap: Indian-origin politicians rule the roost

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any firsts (he is the first Hindu and the first person of colour to hold the PM’s office. He is also the youngest and richest ever). Although his family’s connections with Africa go back two generations, Rishi has never doubted that his roots are truly Indian.

[caption id="attachment_31380" align="aligncenter" width="619"] Politician | Rishi Sunak | Global Indian Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister, United Kingdom[/caption]

Having grown up in the UK, Rishi found success soon after college, working with two hedge funds and going on to become a partner at one. Despite a life of privilege, the politician has hardly been the man to choose the easy way – whether it’s taking off across the Atlantic or choosing to enter politics as a Conservative candidate. His first bid for Prime Minister was thwarted by Liz Truss although he burst back onto the scene with the overwhelming support of 190 MPs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C42NkLdSjyY

"The U.K. and India share so much. I'm excited about what our two great democracies can achieve as we deepen our security, defense, and economic partnership in the months and years ahead," the youngest PM of the UK shared in a recent interview.

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[caption id="attachment_23846" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Politicians | Leo Varadkar | Global Indian Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Ireland[/caption]

Given Ireland’s staunchly Catholic past, Leo’s sexuality was always a talking point across the globe. However, Taoiseach believes that Irish society is changing. During an earlier interview, the politician had said, “I think other people, perhaps people braver than me, who campaigned for equal rights before the law changed things for me – To them, I’m very grateful. But it does add additional responsibility on me, that I do want to use the office that I now hold to advance equality of opportunity, to advance the concepts of equal rights before the law. That’s not just for people from the LGBT community here in Ireland, but also in Northern Ireland, and around the world where such rights are under threat.”

Niklaus Samuel Gugger, Member of the Swiss National Council

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[caption id="attachment_24686" align="aligncenter" width="613"] Niklaus-Samuel Gugger, member of the Swiss National Council[/caption]

In 1997, after the Luxor massacre – which claimed the lives of 62 people – Nik was approached by the members of the Evangelical Peoples Party (EPP) to join their ranks, an invitation that he readily accepted. "Much of my work has been around the development of people and socio-political issues. My goal has been to integrate the weakest in the society through socio-ethical management and empowerment,” the politician shared with Global Indian.

A social entrepreneur, Nik has worked extensively to coach the next generation. Nik is the co-founder and member of the board of directors of the consulting company Herzkraftwerk AG in Winterthur, which offers coaching for decision-makers from business and non-profit organisations. A life coach and motivational speaker, Nik is also the Vice President of the environmental organization BirdLife Switzerland. He is also the owner of the famous Ayurvedic ginger drink in Switzerland – Zingi.

Gautam A. Rana, US Ambassador to Slovakia

A lawyer by profession, Gautam A Rana is a member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselors, and was recently appointed as the US Ambassador to Slovakia, for which he was nominated by President Joe Biden. Having served at various US embassies, including India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Algeria, Gautam is a proud Indian-American.

[caption id="attachment_31264" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Ambassador | Gautam Rana | Global Indian Ambassador Gautam A. Rana with former US President, Barack Obama[/caption]

The diplomat feels that the diaspora has grown from being just immigrants to holding important positions in various spheres of the country. “I think that the Indian diaspora in the United States of America has a lot of reasons to be proud of themselves. There are so many people of Indian lineage who are in decision-making positions now in the USA, including the Vice President, Kamala Harris. But that is the story of America. People who have come to this land, and have worked hard, have been able to achieve so much in the USA. I think Indian Americans will continue to reach great milestones.”

Currently stationed at Bratislava with his wife and two kids, Gautam is heading the US convoy to the land of the Slavs. While he hasn’t been able to visit India since he moved back in 2014, he wishes to bring his boys to the country he was born in, someday.

Aruna Miller, Lt Governor, Maryland

Aruna Miller was seven years old when she first entered the United States with her family back in 1972. About four decades later, she became the second Indian-American woman to enter the House of Representatives after Pramila Jayapal, and the first immigrant Lt Governor of Maryland. An alumnus of the Missouri University of Science and Technology, the politician spent over 25 years as a transportation engineer in Montgomery Country.

[caption id="attachment_27524" align="aligncenter" width="697"] Aruna Miller, Lt Governor, Maryland[/caption]

She first dabbled in politics in 2006, when she was elected to serve as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, a position she held until 2010. Her career as a public servant has been dotted with many milestones – she has batted for issues like paid family leave, and transportation policies stood against domestic violence, and emerged as a proponent of STEM education.

In her new role as the Lt Governor of Maryland, the politician intends to hit the ground running, taking on three major issues – education, the climate, and the economy. Investing in public education and job creation is a top priority, she says, it is also a means to create safer public spaces.

Reading Time: 7 mins

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman winner, scientist Dr Ravi Singh is working towards food security for all

(January 20, 2023) As a child queuing at ration shops, he would often think about the possibility of enough food for everyone, without anyone having to worry about it. While many would have dropped it as a passing thought, this scientist pursued a career in agricultural science, ensuring food security for the world. A distinguished scientist and Head of Global Wheat Improvement at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, Dr. Ravi Prakash Singh dedicated almost four decades towards increasing food production across the globe. [caption id="attachment_34134" align="aligncenter" width="526"] Dr Ravi Prakash Singh, Head of Global Wheat Improvement at CIMMYT[/caption] Recognising his contribution to the development, release, and cultivation of over 550 wheat varieties over the past three decades, the scientist received the highest honour conferred by the Government of India to NRIs - the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2021. "The award recognises and values many years of wheat breeding at CIMMYT, where I had the opportunity, privilege, and satisfaction to have contributed and made impacts through our invaluable partners in India and many other countries,” shared the scientist as he connected with Global Indian from Mexico, adding, "By continuously providing superior varieties, we increased wheat

award recognises and values many years of wheat breeding at CIMMYT, where I had the opportunity, privilege, and satisfaction to have contributed and made impacts through our invaluable partners in India and many other countries,” shared the scientist as he connected with Global Indian from Mexico, adding, "By continuously providing superior varieties, we increased wheat production and incomes of millions of smallholder farming families.”

Scientist | Dr Ravi Prakash Singh | Global Indian

A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Phytopathological Society (APS), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), and India’s National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS), Dr. Singh has been included among the top one percent of highly-cited researchers, according to Clarivate Analytics-Web of Science every year since 2017. The wheat varieties, developed by him, are sown annually on over 40 million hectares by as many farmers, adding over $1 billion annually to farmers’ incomes through increased productivity and built-in disease resistance, thus reducing chemical dependence to a negligible level. The scientist also serves as Adjunct Professor at Cornell University and Kansas State University.

From the ghats of Ganga

Born into an agrarian family in Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Singh did his schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, BHU Varanasi. "My father, who was from a rural background, was very ambitious for me," shares the scientist, adding, "He was a soil scientist at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and had gone to the United Kingdom to pursue a Ph.D. So he knew the value of good education. That motivated me to work a little harder in school. Even my teachers were quite encouraging, which gave me the courage to pick up science for my B.Sc, which I pursued from BHU."

[caption id="attachment_34135" align="aligncenter" width="674"] Scientist | Dr Ravi Prakash Singh | Global Indian Dr Singh with his colleagues in Mexico[/caption]

The scientist, who is today regarded as one of the leading scholars in the field of wheat agriculture, shares that it was the situation of food and farmers in the country that motivated him to pursue a career in agriculture. "Even though my father worked in BHU, food was still in short supply. I remember as kids, my siblings and I would line up in front of ration shops for wheat, sugar, rice, and several other food items. It was around the same time that the green revolution happened. Many of my family members were into farming, and despite the green revolution, they faced several problems. All this inadvertently turned me towards picking up agriculture sciences as a career path."

[caption id="attachment_34138" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Scientist | Dr Ravi Prakash Singh | Global Indian Dr Singh with his colleagues at IIWBR, India[/caption]

After graduating, he pursued a master's from BHU, before moving to the University of Sydney, Australia in 1980 to earn his Ph.D. "I was very lucky that I got a chance to come to the University of Sydney. However, I have to admit that my initial days were spent understanding and learning the Australian accent. It was challenging as it wasn't the typical English accent we are used to. Also, I was surprised by the welcoming treatment. When I first landed in Sydney, my professor had come to the airport to pick me up. On our way to the University, I addressed him as 'sir'. However, he asked me to call him by his nickname, Bob. In India, such a thing would have never happened," the scientist laughs, adding, "The exposure I got as a young student is what has got me this far."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7vztRGwAc8

While he loved every bit of his new life in Australia, food was an issue. Being a vegetarian, he had a hard time finding places to eat during those days. “So, I started experimenting and by the end of my Ph.D. programme, I could cook some modified versions of Indian delicacies," laughs Dr. Singh, adding there were a handful of Indian families in the vicinity who would often host him.

In the land of Mayans

Soon after earning a Ph.D., which was focussed on finding genetic resistance for various rust diseases in the wheat crop, Dr. Singh moved to Mexico to join the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in 1983 for his post-doctoral. "The topic of my Ph.D. research was quite new at the time, and to do thorough research, I had to learn not just about wheat and its diseases, but also about genetics and plant pathology. That gave me an academic advantage in the field. At the time, the CIMMYT centre in Mexico was looking for someone who could help them solve the rust problem. So, it was quite a smooth transition for me academically," says the scientist.

[caption id="attachment_34137" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Scientist | Dr Ravi Prakash Singh | Global Indian Dr. Singh (centre) with Professor Bob McIntosh (right) and Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram (left)[/caption]

In Mexico, Dr. Singh was able to expand his research and its applications to generate new wheat cultivars. Working in an international centre also allowed the scientist to meet and interact with scholars from across the globe. "When I came here, there were already a few Indians working in the centre. I also worked with Padma Bhushan Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, who was also the winner of the 2014 World Food Prize. There were people from various backgrounds and cultures, and that really helped me learn more about wheat farming across the globe."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNOtun8ylPE

Speaking about his early experiences in the country, he adds, "People of Mexico are very friendly and welcoming. In those days, the crime was quite less, so we could go where ever we wanted to, without thinking twice. However, language was a barrier. As agricultural scientists, we are not only required to work in the labs, but also venture out into the field and apply those theories. Most Mexicans at the time spoke only Spanish, and I knew not a single word of it. However, eventually, I learned the language, and now have a good understanding of it."

Over the last 37 years, Dr. Singh has played a crucial role in researching and developing solutions to increase food production and nutritional security in Mexico, India, and other countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. During the last decade, his team developed about half of the wheat varieties released in India through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) network. These include the country’s first high-yielding biofortified varieties, WB-2 and PBW1-Zn, released in 2017 to benefit India’s zinc-deficient population.

Scientist | Dr Ravi Prakash Singh | Global Indian

"I retired quite recently, however, I have a lot to do. I wish to mentor young scientists about how to increase food production. I also look forward to working on several high-profile projects with farmers to tackle future issues they might face due to the climate changes on a crop like wheat," shares the scientist, who is the recipient of several awards including the Outstanding CGIAR Scientist Award, the CSSA Crop Science Research Award, the University of Minnesota E.C. Stakman Award, and the China State Council’s Friendship Award.

Reading Time: 7 mins

The Mathemagician: Field’s Medal winner Manjul Bhargava bridges tradition and modernity

(July 6, 2024) In the summer of 1998, Manjul Bhargava's eye caught a mini Rubik's cube sitting in a corner of his room. He began visualising numbers on each of the corners and in his own words, "saw binary quadratic forms coming out, three of them." Bhargava, who was a student at Harvard University then, wrote down the relations between them and realised he had found a description of Gauss' Law (which explains how electric fields behave around charged objects). He linked it to the work of the ancient mathematician Brahmagupta, which he had read in Sanskrit as a child. It was one of Bhargava’s first major breakthroughs, which paved the way for his winning the Fields Medal in 2014. To Bhargava, Math is music, and poetry and patterns – and magic. He brings this playfulness to his lectures at Princeton too, where he became the youngest ever full mathematics professor at the age of 28. In class, he is known to use magic tricks, puzzles, toys, poetry and music, which he believes "should all form a key part of the mathematics classroom. When people see mathematics done as described above, as a playful, creative, interactive subject, they see that

eves "should all form a key part of the mathematics classroom. When people see mathematics done as described above, as a playful, creative, interactive subject, they see that it is not terrifying at all," he gushes. "It is beautiful!" Once, he even used chocolate bars to demonstrate the principles of algebra, cutting and rearranging the pieces to solve equations. This hands-on approach not only demystifies complex concepts but also infuses a sense of play and discovery into the learning process.

[caption id="attachment_48752" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Manjul Bhargava[/caption]

Apart from the Fields Medal, Bhargava's accolades include the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India, and the Infosys Prize, recognizing his contributions to the mathematical sciences. He has also been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, an honor reserved for distinguished scholars in recognition of their original research.

Early life

Manjul Bhargava was born on August 8, 1974, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to a family deeply rooted in academia and the appreciation of classical Indian culture. His mother, Mira Bhargava, who is a Mathematics professor at Hofstra University in New York, told Quanta that his interest in Math became evident when he was a toddler. The only way to make him sit still, she said, was to ask him to add or multiply large numbers, he would do by "flipping his fingers back and forth and then give the right answer. I always wondered how he did it, but he wouldn't tell me," she said.

At the age of eight, he would stack oranges into pyramids before they went into making juice. Several months later he produced an equation to figure out a formula for the number of oranges in a pyramid. By this time, he was also attending his mother's math classes in college, even correcting her if she made an error.

[caption id="attachment_48753" align="aligncenter" width="469"] Photo: Peter Murphy[/caption]

Another big influence in his life came from his occasional trips to Jaipur to see his grandparents. His grandfather was Purushottam Lal Bhargava, a renowned scholar of Sanskrit and head of the Department of at the University of Rajasthan. Learning from his grandfather, Manjul Bhargava fell hopelessly in love with Sanskrit poetry, and found, to his total delight, that they were highly mathematical. "I also learned from my grandfather how much incredible mathematics was discovered in ancient times by scholars who considered themselves not mathematicians but poets. Linguists such as Panini, Pingala, Hemachandra and Narayana discovered some wonderful and deep mathematical concepts while studying poetry."

He found math in music too and learned to play a number of instruments although he had a special love for the tabla. He enjoyed thinking about the mathematics of the complex rhythm structures contained in Hindustani and Carnatic classical music.

University life

In 1991, Manjul Bhargava graduated from Plaineridge High School in North Massapequa, and had already been admitted to Harvard University. That was where he decided on a career in Mathematics - he had toyed with many options, including being a musician and an economist. He graduated in 1996, winning the Morgan Prize for his research. From there, he went to Princeton University with a Hertz Fellowship and worked under Sir Andrew Wiles, a Royal Society Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. By this time, he had a slew of awards to his name, including the Hertz Fellowship, the Hoopes Prize and the Morgan Prize.

In 1991, he graduated from Plaineridge High School in North Massapequa, and had already been admitted to Harvard University. He graduated in 1996, winning the Morgan Prize for his research. From there, he went to Princeton University with a Hertz Fellowship and worked under Sir Andrew Wiles. It was during his time at Princeton as a graduate student that he also solved a 200-year-old math problem.

Solving Gauss' composition law

As a child, Bhargava had read, in one of his grandfather's Sanskrit manuscripts, a theorem developed by the great mathematician, Brahmagupta, which had excited Bhargava very much at the time. Then, during his time at Princeton, he discovered the work of Carl Gauss and his composition law, which is one of the pillars of electromagnetic theory. Was there a simple way to describe Gauss' 20-page law, Bhargava wondered.

He sat with the question and one night, as he sat in his room which was "littered with mathematical toys," he looked at a mini Rubik's Cube. There are three ways to cut a Rubik's Cube in half, and each of the three forms, Bhargava found, add up to zero. He had found an elegant, more minimalist explanation of Gauss' Law, which today is known as Bhargava's Cube. That became the core of his PhD thesis at Princeton, for which he won a five-year Clay Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Making history at Princeton

Bhargava used the funding to stay on at Princeton for another year, as well as at the Institute for Advanced Study, and then moved to Harvard. He was now a very sought after mathematician and at 28, after considering a food of job offers, accepted a position at Princeton University.

In 2014, Manjul Bhargava was awarded the Fields Medal at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Seoul for "developing powerful new methods in the geometry of numbers. He applied these to count rings of small rank and to bound the average rank of elliptic curves. One year later, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. In 2017, he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science and like his mentor, Sir Andrew Wiles, was conferred a Fellowship at the Royal Society in 2019.

Manjul Bhargava’s work has been described as “epoch-making,” and is widely regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of our time. He also remains a passionate musician and occasionally trains under Ustad Zakir Hussain.