[4] Prakash was initiated into the game by his father Ramesh Padukone, who was the Secretary of Mysore Badminton Association for many years.

In 1978, he won his first major international title, the men's singles gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada.

In 1980, he won the Danish Open, the Swedish Open and became the first Indian to win the men's singles title at the All England Championship with a victory over Indonesia's Liem Swie King, who was one of the world's leading singles players of his era.

Padukone spent much of his international career training in Denmark, and developed close friendships with European players such as Morten Frost.

[6] After his retirement from competitive sports in 1991, Padukone served as the chairman of the Badminton Association of India for a short while.