Chanakya is a government affairs professional with over eight years of experience in parliamentary policy design, focusing on finance, education and energy. He is currently a Policy Analyst at a climate think tank in London. He holds a BA in Economics (Honours) from Delhi University and a Masters in Public Policy from LSE.

He is on the board of Nilgiri Education and Development Associates as Director of CSR and Policy. Chanakya founded TribeAisle (a social enterprise) to empower tribal artisans in Central India, for which he has received several awards, including recognition from SIPA, Columbia University. Chanakya is also an acclaimed painter and his work has received appreciation at exhibitions in New Delhi, London, New York and Helsinki.