Mr. Ramanathan did his BSc (Engineering - Electrical) from the University of Kerala and ME from the University of Roorkee (now IITR) and has over 50 years of experience in the power sector. He served in the Central Power Research Institute and Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Government of India in different senior positions and retired as Member (PS) from CEA in 1997. Since then he has been working in TERI, presently as Distinguished Fellow. He is a member of the State Advisory Committee of DERC. He has been a Member of the Government’s High-Level Committee on Private Sector Participation in Power Transmission. Through TERI he has provided consultancy support to different national and international organizations (ADB, WB, Malaysia Energy Commission, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, JBIC, etc.) on various technical issues related to power sector development. He has also functioned as advisor and faculty for a number of capacity-building programs conducted by TERI, for different organizations like Power Grid, POSOCO, state power utilities, NEPRA, etc. on various topics like grid management, power sector reforms, energy efficiency, demand side management, etc. In 2021 he was a member of the Indian Working Group of the International Hydropower Association (IHA} for the development of pumped storage plants in India.

Co-authored two books:

1. Electricity Privatization Experience in the State of Orissa.
2. Hydropower Development in India (an ADB publication).