His primary focus is on ensuring recognition, respect and reward for grassroots inventors, and protection of their Intellectual Property rights. His other research interests include the amalgamation of formal and informal science, ethical issues in conservation, and prosperity of biodiversity. Every summer and winter for more than twelve years, he has spent more than a week walking approximately 6000 km across India in order to learn from grassroots teachers as part of Shodh Yatra. Shodh Yatra, a second year course, is one of the most popular courses taught in IIM-Ahmedabad. Through the Honey Bee Network, he has aimed to demonstrate that the ideas and knowledge of economically poor people are important for the sustainable progress of developing countries.

• Gupta has been a professor in Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad since 1981. Various positions held by him in IIM-A include Chairperson of Research and Publications, Chairperson of Ravi J Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation and Kasturbhai Lalbhai Chair in Entrepreneurship.
• He is a Co-ordinator of SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiative for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions). He was a speaker at TEDIndia in November 2009. Since 2011, he is an advisor on issues pertaining to innovation, environment, and sustainability to Fair Observer, an online magazine covering global issues.

Awards

• Padma Shri National Award (management education) from Government of India (2004).
• Science-in-Society Award from Indian Science Congress Association (2004).
• Asian Innovation Award Gold from Far Eastern Economic Review (2000).
• Pew Conservation Scholar Award from University of Michigan, USA.