Prof. R. Vaidyanathan is a retired professor of finance who used to teach the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

A graduate of the Loyola College, Madras, and with a master's degree from the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, he obtained his doctorate from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, where he also taught for four years.

Prof. Vaidyanathan is a two-time Fulbright scholar and also a fellow of the ICSSR. He was visiting faculty at various universities in the USA and UK. In the past, he has been selected by Business Today as one of the ten best professors at all IIMs. He has had the rare privilege of being in the various committees of regulators like SEBI, RBI, IRDA and PFRDA. He is a consultant to many organizations and is on the board of many corporate firms.

Prof. Vaidyanathan was conferred the Lifetime Contribution Award by the Asia Pacific Risk and Insurance Association (APRIA) and Kybo Life in 2019. His 2013 book, India Uninc: Role of Non-Corporate Sectors in India, which focuses on Indian and Asian value systems, was well received by planners and policymakers. His 2017 book, Black money and Tax Havens, has been acclaimed by experts.

Prof. Vaidyanathan is on the advisory council of the Vivekananda International Foundation. He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board under the National Security Council (2019-20). Currently he is Cho Ramaswamy Chair Professor in Public Policy at Sastra University, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, and emeritus adjunct professor at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), an institution of national importance located in Ahmedabad.