[3] She worked as a surgeon in various parts of rural India[1] before moving to Lonavala to start a free medical centre for migrant labourers.
[citation needed] Her second novel, The Scent of Pepper (1996) was set in her birthplace, Kodagu and is a portrait of the life and culture of its people, through the eyes of a family from colonial rule to independence.
[9] The Hills of Angheri (2005) draws from Nambisan's own experiences as a doctor, tracing a young woman's medical career.
[13] Nambisan's story Dr Sad and the Power Lunch was joint runner-up in the third Outlook-Picador non-fiction contest in 2003.
[14] She has also contributed fiction to Indian Literature, the journal published by the Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters).
[16] She has also contributed some works of criticism, including a piece on 'New Issues in Fiction'[17] to the journal Indian Literature.