Anant Maringanti

Anant Maringanti is a geographer, researcher, teacher, and urban practitioner. His research spans a wide range of themes including theories and practices in the Global South, ecological issues in urban contexts—especially water systems—and questions of identity to name a few. As a practitioner, he places his commitment to the communities he works with at the heart of all he does.
While he holds a PhD in geography from the University of Minnesota, Anant’s career has been a transformative journey across disciplines and geographies. Trained originally as an engineer, he has worked in industrial design, visual communication, journalism, activism, and participatory research in Central India—before turning fully to urban geography. He has taught at institutions such as the National University of Singapore, the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) in Hyderabad, India, and the University of Hyderabad, and currently serves as the Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change at the University of Minnesota.
At Hyderabad Urban Lab, Anant leads an interdisciplinary team working at the intersection of research, practice, and policy to address complex urban challenges—from waste and sanitation to housing and informality. He also mentors young scholars and practitioners, helping build knowledge systems that connect lived experience with transformative urban thinking.