Tirthankar Nag has a doctorate from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and currently holds the position of Professor and Dean (Research and International Relations) at IMI Kolkata. Tirthankar has been teaching master's and doctoral courses at IMI Kolkata. He also guides and examines doctoral candidates at several Universities and Institutes. He has authored several books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed papers. He has received several awards and recognitions from IIM Ahmedabad for his academic work (Chaudhary Padmanabhan Pant Award, Sahir Memorial Award). He holds certificates from the World Bank Institute and UN System Staff College. He is also a TEDx organizer and a mentor of change for Atal Tinkering Labs, Atal Innovation Mission. He is also the editor of the Journal of Operations and Strategic Planning, published by SAGE Publications. He also holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Jadavpur University.

Tirthankar has advised the top management of various organizations on behalf of firms like PwC and KPMG, as well as investment banking organizations like SBICAPS, and has worked on projects for several ministries of the Government of India. He has also advised many multilateral organizations, including the UN, the World Bank, DFID, ADB, and USAID. He has also worked for leading utilities like CESC Limited. He has over twenty years of experience in management consulting, investment banking, utilities, teaching, and research.