He graduated with a master's degree in Political Science receiving a gold medal for being top of the class.

Lalit Mansingh has remained a lecturer in the Post-Graduate Department of Political Science, Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, DC, 1989–1992 and remained the Dean of Foreign Service Institute, India, from 1995 to 1996.,[5] apart from serving as Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs .

He is part of a Track II dialogue between India and Pakistan focusing on confidence building measures between the two nuclear armed neighbors.

Other engagements – Overseas: Member, Board of Trustees, International Crisis Group, Brussels; Member, Asia Pacific Leadership Network, Canberra; Member, International Advisory Council, APCO Worldwide, Washington, D.C., and International Advisory Council Member in APCO Worldwide[4] In India: Chairman World Cultural Forum India; President, India Strategic Forum, Vice President, Maha Bodhi Society of India; Chairman, Political Science Association, Ravenshaw University; Vice President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Prof Emeritus at the Foreign Service Institute of India; Member, Governing Body of Development Alternatives, New Delhi and Gram Vikas, Odisha.