National Aids Research Institute

Our office is tucked away in Satish Apartment, right there on Prabhat Road Lane No 15. Being at A 5, it feels more like a home than a research institute. At the National Aids Research Institute, we have a small team here in Pune. It’s a quiet neighborhood, which is good because we have to focus a lot on the data and the reports. The rooms are filled with filing cabinets and a few computers that have seen better days. We don't have fancy lab equipment in this specific unit; it’s more about the administrative side and the research coordination. You’ll often find us sitting around the big wooden table in the middle of the main room, going over papers or talking about the latest findings. The light comes in through the balcony in the afternoons, which is a nice break from the fluorescent bulbs. We get people coming by for meetings, and we usually offer them tea from the kitchen down the hall. It’s a very low-key environment. There aren't any big logos on the walls or sleek furniture. Just a bunch of us trying to organize important work without making a big fuss about it. We’ve been in this apartment for a while, and the security guard at the gate knows all of us by name. It’s just a regular day-to-day operation where we try to stay organized and get our part of the research done.