In 1979, he received the M. Tech degree in Maintenance Engineering and Management and a Merit Prize from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras.

He worked as a Graduate Engineer Trainee (Aircraft Maintenance) at Air India, Bombay, during 1979-80.

He was an Associate Fellow in the Educational Planning Unit at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi, during 1984-86.

He worked as an Assistant Professor in the Education Management Sector at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, during 1986-87.

Since 1987, he has been working in the Industrial Engineering and Management Faculty at IIT Madras, as Assistant Professor till 1993, then as Associate Professor till December 1996, and then as Professor. In July, 2004, he took charge as the Head of the Department of Management Studies at IIT Madras. Dr. Ganesh has been a key member of some national-level government-sponsored projects and also of projects sponsored by international organizations such as the World Bank, and the UNDP.