He is a renowned bureaucrat, politician and academician. An alumnus of Presidency College and University of Calcutta, he completed his PhD in Management from Delhi University. As India's revenue secretary and while holding other posts, Sengupta played a critical role in revitalization of India's capital markets in the 1980s. He has represented India at various UN bodies and was elected chairman of the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations. In 1996 he was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha. Currently, he is Chairman, Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises, New Delhi. Sengupta has been a regular columnist in leading dailies, and is the author of 20 books, including several related to management. Some of his well-known books are Unshackling of Indian Industry, Government and Business, Changing Pattern of Corporate Management, Life and Times of Dr. Bidhan Roy and Bengal Divided.