Dr Bhavani worked as an officer in State Bank of India for a decade before shifting out in 2000 to join M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), a not-for-profit trust for sustainable rural development. She has an MPhil degree in Planning & Development from IIT Bombay and a doctorate in economics from Madras University. Food and nutrition security, leveraging agriculture for nutrition, and food systems are the major areas of her work and expertise. She was on deputation with the National Commission on Farmers, Government of India as Officer on Special Duty from 2004-06. From 2012-2018, she was project manager of an international research programme consortium on leveraging agriculture for nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) that was led by MSSRF. Since 2021, Bhavani has been engaging in consultancy assignments relating to food systems with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN, in Bangladesh. She served as a member of the Board of Seva Mandir (2018-22) and was a member of the working group on Civil Supplies and PDS for the 14^th Five-Year Plan (2022-2027) of the Government of Kerala.  Bhavani has authored several papers and co-edited/co-authored books and research reports.