Since my childhood, I was curious about nature and oceans. My fascination and curiosity to understand the natural phenomena happening around me motivated me to get into the science stream; thus, my journey in science began. Oceans and microbes are important for regulating many critical aspects of the existence of life on our planet; therefore, oceans and microbes both intrigue me. More than 99 % microbes cannot be cultured of which a major portion is occupied by the marine microorganisms and hence their physiological role remains unknown. My current research focuses on deciphering taxonomic and functional diversity of microorganisms in selected eco-niches of the Indian Ocean using ‘-omics’ approaches. This study is expected to improve our understanding of possible metabolic pathways of microbial communities and their role in various ecological processes including nutrient cycling, biogeochemical processes and global climatic changes.