With the death of Veronica Rodrigues on 10 November, India has lost a leading figure in the resurgence of research and teaching in the biological sciences in the subcontinent. Her scientific influence was widely felt, but she was also intimately connected with fostering and advancing research in molecular biology and developmental genetics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, and more recently in the inception of the landmark center of excellence at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore.