“I’m a Chef by Training, an HR Manager by Accident, and a Scuba Diver by Choice.”
I grew up in Mylapore and Alwarpet, right by Marina Beach in Chennai. The ocean has always been a part of me—swimming in those waters shaped who I am. But growing up, I never really felt like I belonged. Whether it was in Chennai or my hometown of Udupi, I always felt like an outsider, different in the way I looked and the language I spoke. That search for belonging led me to try many different paths.
I started out as a chef, creating stories through food, then found myself in HR, managing people and processes. I lived in cities across India, worked in different fields, but none of it ever felt right. I was searching, but never truly found a place where I could say, “This is home.”
It wasn’t until the summer of 2019, when I moved to the Philippines with my wife, that I stumbled upon what I had been looking for. A friend told me I was in the “Mecca of Scuba Diving” and that I just had to give it a try. But I didn’t just want to try it—I wanted to dive in, literally. I signed up for an Open Water Diver certification.
I had no clue where to start. Online research didn’t help, and I couldn’t find the right school. Then, at the gym one day, I met Alex. When I found out he ran a scuba school, something about his energy made me sign up immediately.
A week later, I was certified as an Open Water Diver. And with each dive, I felt something shift inside me. For the first time, I truly felt at home. This was where I belonged.
The next year and a half was a whirlwind of learning and diving. In April 2021, I became a certified Scuba Diving Instructor. And now, sharing the love for the ocean with others is my greatest joy.
The moment I became a certified instructor, I knew it was just the beginning. Scuba diving wasn’t just something I loved; it became a lifeline, a transformative force that brought me peace, purpose, and a sense of belonging. I wanted others to experience that same shift—where the world beneath the waves becomes a sanctuary and a place of discovery.
After my certification, I set up my own venture in the Philippines, working closely with the local diving community. Each student I taught reaffirmed that this was where I was meant to be.
In early 2022, I returned to India, traveling across Goa, Murudeshwar, Chennai, Pondicherry, Tuticorin, and the Andamans. I met some of the most experienced voices in the diving world and was astonished by how developed the community was here. I kept asking myself, why hadn’t I pursued this sooner?
Soon after, I had the chance to work with a well-established dive operation in the Maldives. Living there, diving daily, felt like a dream come true. But as much as I loved it, I felt a pull to return to India—not just to be with my spouse, but to bring scuba diving to the people I loved and who had shaped me.
Chennai, my hometown, had always been a part of me. My parents had run Padmashri Foods, a bakery in Mylapore, for over two decades. When they retired, I saw an opportunity to turn their old bakery space into Naik Scuba Academy.
Located in the heart of the city means that I can bring scuba diving to the people rather than it being just a thought when on vacation.
Through Naik Scuba Academy, I want to ignite a passion for scuba diving—whether as a hobby or a career. I was once the unsure beginner, lost in where to start. Now, with everything I’ve learnt, I create experiences that leave people saying, “That was amazing! I can’t wait to dive again. Let’s start planning.”