The chemistry of main group elements has been thriving in recent years. While much of the research has been focused on unravelling the preparative methods, reactivity and structure of compounds where the main group element is in a low oxidation state or has a low coordination number, there has also been a shift in emphasis on examining the properties of such compounds in applications ranging from photophysical properties to catalysis. This diverse and rich chemistry has prompted us to organize a meeting dedicated to this theme. Fortuitously, many young researchers working on this theme have joined various Indian Institutes in recent years and have been contributing significantly.