I am a linguist whose work spans linguistic typology, language documentation, sign language, and the development of language and communication. I completed my PhD in Linguistics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where I studied the typological diversity of numeral systems across South Asian languages. My doctoral research was later published as the book A Typology of Numeral Systems in South Asian Languages. I subsequently joined the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology as a postdoctoral researcher, investigating the cultural and linguistic forces that shape numeral systems in Southeast Asia and beyond, as well as the cognitive foundations of language through home-sign systems in isolated communities.

My research has involved a wide range of South Asian language families, with particular attention to lesser-known and endangered languages, areal patterns, language contact, and number borrowing. I developed the open-access South Asian Numerals Database (SAND) and a questionnaire for the comparative documentation of numeral systems. My data on special numerals in South Asian languages are also available through CrossGram. I also contributed to UNESCO-supported work on India’s tribal and Indigenous languages, resulting in the co-authored volume Tribal and Indigenous Languages of India. Alongside this work, I have researched on Indian Sign Language and taught linguistics, linguistic typology, numeral systems, and language endangerment at Jawaharlal Nehru University and the University of Salzburg. My commitment to education also includes eight years of teaching and supporting children of construction workers at JNU, New Delhi.

I now lead the Young Research Group, where I specialize in language and communication development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. My work focuses on translating research into earlier detection and personalized, longitudinal support in everyday care. Within an international community-based project in Upper Austria, our team is developing pathways that connect screening, intervention, and the transition to school for autistic children aged one to seven. Working with families, pediatricians, therapists, and educators, we combine developmental evidence with secure digital tools and real-world implementation research to identify what works best, for whom, and when. My broader goal is to bring families, clinicians, and data together to create faster, more responsive, and more equitable pathways for children with ASD.

CV · Institute profile