Dr Asad R. Rahmani joined the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in 1980, where he worked as a senior scientist for 12 years before joining the Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, in 1991. He rejoined BNHS as its director in mid-1997 and led the organization until his retirement in 2015. During his tenure at BNHS he was part of several committees of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.Dr Rahmani is a Scientific Consultant to The Corbett Foundation and Hem Chandra Mahindra Trust. He was on the Board of Wetlands International South Asia (WISA) till 2022 and is currently on the Governing Council of the Bombay Natural History Society.

Dr Rahmani’s main interest is in grassland and wetland birds, with a focus on highlighting the plight of lesser known species and habitats. He has published 26 books, 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 90 book reviews, nearly 75 editorials and nearly 400 popular articles on nature conservation. He was a Global Council member of BirdLife International, UK (2006–2013), and chairman, BirdLife Asia Council (2006–2013). Dr Rahmani was the Executive Editor of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS) from 2005 to 2015. He was accorded lifetime achievement awards by Vasundhara Abhiyan, Pune, and Nature Mates, Kolkata, and named Member of Honour by BirdLife International, UK.