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About

Kritti Sharma is an astrophysicist at the forefront of time-domain astronomy in India, specializing in the discovery and characterization of transient celestial phenomena and near-Earth objects. Her most significant contribution is her leadership role in establishing the GROWTH-India Telescope (GIT), a fully robotic 70 cm wide-field facility that marks India’s first dedicated instrument for time-domain astrophysics. This telescope, a collaborative effort between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and IIT Bombay, enables rapid response to cosmic transients and has become a critical asset for global follow-up networks. Sharma’s work on solar system objects, particularly the monitoring of potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), addresses a fundamental need in planetary defense. Her flagship paper on the GIT’s capabilities has garnered 31 citations, underscoring its impact on the field. By bridging indigenous instrumentation with international partnerships—including support from the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum—Sharma has not only advanced our understanding of variable and explosive phenomena but also catalyzed a new era of robotic, real-time astrophysical research in India. Her efforts exemplify how strategic facility development can empower a generation of scientists to explore the dynamic universe.