On All India Radio he gave solo recitals and lecture-demonstrations on topics in North and South Indian classical music, most frequently on advanced, historical or unusual rhythmic structures and compositions.

Taranath Rao was a close collaborator with influential figures such as Allaudin Khan (whose early Bombay concerts he was instrumental in arranging), Ravi Shankar (for whom he was an original accompanist) and the revolutionary flautist Pannalal Ghosh.

Taranath Rao was a well-known curator of Indian percussion, but he is also remembered for his modern outlook on classical music, innovative approach to drumming, and progressive, systematic teaching style.

The dual-solo format was largely popularized by Rao's disciples Ravi and Shashi Bellare, leading tabla players of the 1950s and 60s, and later by contemporary master Alla Rakha with his son the Zakir Hussain.

His disciples around the world, include Yogesh Samsi, Ravi Bellare, Shashi Bellare, Sadanand Naimpalli, Omkar Gulvady, Mohan Balvally, Uday Raikar, Maruti Kurdekar, Vijay Kangutkar, Balakrishna Iyer, Jayawant Bantwal, Anand Badamikar, Jef Feldman, Peter Fagiola, Roland Drogemuller, Gregg Johnson, Bengt Berger, Rupesh Kotecha, Narayan Kadekodi, Vilas Jadhav, Kishore Kulkarni, Vibhav Pathak and Leonice Shinneman.