Professor Madhav M. Deshpande began his academic career  in Pune, India, where he studied traditional and modern Sanskrit. Deshpande earned his B.A. in 1966 and M.A. in 1968, both in Sanskrit from the University of Pune. In 1972 he completed his doctorate in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. That same year, he was appointed Professor of Sanskrit and Hindu Studies at the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan  with a joint appointment in the Department of Linguistics. He continued to work here until his retirement. During his career he has published fifteen books and over 150 research papers relating to these areas.