After his education in atmospheric science (PhD) and astronomy (MS),[2] he worked as a climate scientist at NASA[3][4][5] before switching to a career in urban development across state, market and society.
He was a prominent member of the Loksatta movement working for administrative, electoral and governance reforms, and thereafter became the National Vice President of the Lok Satta Party.
Ashwin become a driving force behind numerous urban development projects in Bangalore including rationalisation of the BMTC bus service, traffic management solutions,[10] cleaning up and preservation of lakes.
He is also interested in heritage and history, and is part of the Kaliloka team documenting the vernacular architectural traditions of the different districts of Karnataka.
Ashwin is a childhood polio survivor, and was a Director at Artilab Foundation for a few years; the organisation incubates product and service innovations for disabled and elderly persons.
He is also an advisor to Fourth Wave Foundation, which runs the Nanagu Shaale program for full inclusion of disabled children in schools.
In June 2024 he proposed that the UGC should start a Bachelors in General Competence, comprising a set of ten modules or more with this goal in mind.
[13] Bangalore Mirror newspaper noted, if every one of the voters Mr Mahesh enrolled for voting had turned up to cast their ballot on election day, he would have won by a thumping majority'.
[13] In 2013, Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, Ashwin Mahesh contested from the Bommanahalli constituency,[14][15] garnered 11,915 votes[6] and finished third.
[16] The Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC), an initiative which was launched by the business community of the IT capital of the nation, endorsed Ashwin in the Bommanahalli constituency.