Venkateswaran Anand is a Science Graduate of the Panjab University, Chandigarh.He joined the Indian Railways as an Officer-Apprentice in the Mechanical Department.During the course of his apprenticeship he passed the examinations of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Institution of Production Engineers, London and was absorbed in the Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers.
In his forty one year career,he served in the Central, Eastern,Southern,South Eastern and Western Railways,besides the Integral Coach Factory,Research Designs and Standards Organisation and Diesel Locomotive Works.This took him to Bihar,Tamilnadu,Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh ,Maharashtra,Gujarat and West Bengal.
He has travelled to Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and USA in connection with the modernisation of the railways
He retired as the General Manager, Southern Railway.Post retirement, he served as Advisor to the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation and as a consultant to the Asian Development Bank, Manila,whom he assisted in preparing a Report on Reforming the Railways in the Peoples Republic of China.