Justice Rao did his LLB from Delhi University in 1990. He enrolled as an advocate in March 1991.
Following years of practice, he was elevated as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in April 2013 and was made permanent in March 2015.
He was transferred to the Karnataka High Court in 2024. He served as acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court in May 2025.
He was repatriated to the Delhi High Court on July 21, 2025.