T. Padmanabhan is a Distinguished Professor and Dean of Core Academic Programmes at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. He is a renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist with nearly 30 years of research and teaching experience both in India and abroad. Professor Padmanabhan has published over 200 research papers and nine books, including six graduate-level textbooks. These include the Structure Formation in the Universe and Theoretical Astrophysics, a comprehensive 3-volume course. His research work has won prizes from the Gravity Research Foundation (USA) five times, including the First Prize in 2008. In 2007 he received the Padma Shri, the medal of honour from the President of India, in recognition of his achievements.