Praveen D. Rao is an Indian musician, music director and a lyricist for Kannada language songs.
He was trained by R. V. Sheshadri Gawai of Aravinda Sangeetha Vidyalaya and tabla player Ravindra Yavagal.
Rao has composed music for plays, ballets, films, television shows and commercials.
He is the founder of the event management organization Prakruthi, an NGO that works towards a more environmentally-friendly India by bringing people into parks.
Rao scored the music to M. S. Sathyu's short film Namak Ki Kankari (1996).