Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat
Senior Subject Matter Expert - IKS in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Bharatam
Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat has been actively engaged in teaching, research, curriculum development, and academic outreach since 2011. He currently serves as Senior Subject Matter Expert for Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) at Vyoma Linguistics Labs Foundation, Bengaluru. Prior to this, he served as Associate Professor at Chanakya University, Bengaluru, where he contributed to teaching, research, curriculum design, and the promotion of Indian Knowledge Systems. He is also the Coordinator for the Thematic Minor in Political, Economic and Strategic Sciences under the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Division and serves as Lead Guide at Bharat Ki Soch, a Delhi-based think tank dedicated to promoting informed engagement with India's intellectual and civilizational heritage.
Dr. Bhat earned his Ph.D. from the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (now Central Sanskrit University), Sringeri Campus. He received academic training from eminent teachers, including Late Prof. R. Devanathan, Prof. B. Mahadevan of IIM Bangalore, and Dr. Chandrashekhar Bhat of Central Sanskrit University, whose guidance helped shape his interdisciplinary engagement with Sanskrit studies, Indian Knowledge Systems, governance, and public policy.
His areas of interest include Vyākaraṇa (Sanskrit grammar), Arthaśāstra, Ayurveda, and Itihāsa literature. His work focuses on understanding, interpreting, and presenting classical Indian knowledge traditions in ways that are meaningful and relevant to contemporary education, governance, leadership, and society.
Over the years, Dr. Bhat has contributed significantly to national initiatives in the field of Indian Knowledge Systems. He has been actively involved and as a Masters’ Trainer in faculty development programmes organized by the Indian Knowledge Systems Division, Ministry of Education, contributing to the training of educators from diverse disciplines across India. He has also played a key role in the design and delivery of advanced faculty training programmes, including specialized modules on Arthaśāstra and Nītiśāstra, helping teachers and researchers engage systematically with classical Indian sources.
His academic and institutional engagements extend across several organizations and universities. He has been associated with the Bharat Bodh programme of IGNOU. He has also contributed to discussions and initiatives related to the National Curriculum Framework, particularly in areas concerning the knowledge traditions of India.
Dr. Bhat has served in various academic and administrative capacities, including membership in academic councils, boards of studies, research committees, and quality assurance bodies. He has been associated with institutions such as Chanakya University, Bengaluru, Sri Sri University, Cuttuck, NIT Calicut, and several organizations working in the areas of Sanskrit, Indian Knowledge Systems, and higher education.
His contributions include authorship, translation, editing, curriculum design, and academic resource development. He is the co-author of Introduction to Indian Knowledge Systems: Concepts and Applications, published by PHI Learning, which has been adopted by several institutions introducing courses on Indian Knowledge Systems. He is also the co-author of Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra: Timeless Strategies for Modern Governance, a work that explores the continuing relevance of Kauṭilya's ideas for contemporary governance and public administration. He has edited and translated several Sanskrit and educational publications, including resources designed to make traditional knowledge accessible to modern learners.
Dr. Bhat has also contributed to interdisciplinary projects that connect classical knowledge traditions with contemporary concerns. He served as Specialist Sanskrit Advisor for the Wellcome Collection, London's project "Ayurvedic Man: Encounters with Indian Medicine," supporting the interpretation and presentation of Indian medical traditions for an international audience.
A multilingual academic, Dr. Bhat is proficient in six languages and works across multiple scripts. Through his teaching, research, publications, faculty training programmes, curriculum development initiatives, and public engagement, he continues to contribute to the preservation, interpretation, and contemporary application of India's rich intellectual heritage.