Sudarshan Gadadhar is a Scientist at Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis of inStem, Bengaluru. In this invited article, he shares the significance of mentorship, collaboration and networking in establishing an independent research group as a young investigator in India.

Sudhir Ranganath is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Siddaganga Institute of Technology (SIT). He is one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about the role his mentors, collaborators, and scientific network have played in facilitating the process of setting up his lab.

Vivek Borse is a DST-INSPIRE faculty fellow at the Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. He is one of the researchers selected to attend YIM 2020 as a Young Investigator(YI). In this invited article, he writes about some strategies to speed up the process of getting started after joining an Institute as new faculty.

Geetanjali Sundaram is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta. In this invited article, she writes about learning how to mentor graduate students as a young PI and the three-pronged approach that she follows to maintain a "happy lab".

Trinath Jamma is an Assistant Professor at BITS Pilani-Hyderabad Campus. In this invited piece, he writes about the importance of supportive mentors and a nurturing environment from the host institute in setting up a successful lab as a young investigator.