[2][3] K. T. Achaya was born on 6 October 1923 in Kollegal, in the Mysore kingdom, (now part of Karnataka).
After graduating from the University of Madras in 1943, he worked in the Indian Institute of Science for the next three years.
In 1971, he became the executive director of Protein Foods and Nutrition Development Association of India in Mumbai.
In 1977, Achaya moved to the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, as a consultant to the United Nations University (UNU) Programme for advanced training in Food Science and Technology for fellows from developing countries.
[3] K. T. Achaya published several books on oil milling and food history of India.