Rajendra Achyut Badwe was born in Mumbai, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, in 1956. Reported to be a bright student and a winner of Athalye Medal for Maths, Badwe chose medicine and studied with Dorab Tata Scholarship,to graduate in medicine (MBBS) in 1978. His post graduation was in general surgery and he secured MS from the Bombay University.Dr. Badwe worked in many institutions of repute before joining Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai as the Head of the Department of Surgical Oncology,[4] he worked at the Toronomon Hospital,Tokyo as a Fellow of the International Society for Diseases of the Oesophagus in 1989 and moved to London and worked as the Registrar and honorary consultant at the Guy's Hospital, King's College London School of Medicine and the Royal Marsden Hospital, till 1992.[3] He is currently the Director of Tata Memorial Centre.