[3] During his over 25 year long career in media and academics, Upadhyay was channel head at Janmat TV; executive producer and output editor for Zee News; executive producer at Home TV; correspondent for Doordarshan; and sub editor at Press Trust of India.
[5] Upadhyay held a senior position in the academic field as director of the Disha Education Society in Raipur.
[8][9] Upadhyay was also a member of the search committee to select a new Vice Chancellor for the Makhan Lal National University of Journalism and Mass Communication of Bhopal.
He did his Masters and M.Phil at the School of International Studies, JNU, and has served as a member of the Academic Council of Delhi University.
[20] Upadhyay was a member of: the Management Committee and Executive Council of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University for Mass Communication and Journalism, Bhopal;[21] the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Mass Communication and Journalism, Ahmedabad;[22] the IIMC Society;[23] the Executive Council of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi;[24] and the Executive Board of the National Open School Society of India (NOS).