Dr. N. Lingaiah is a distinguished agricultural scientist with over 19 years of experience in plant breeding, crop improvement, seed production, research management, academics, administration, and institutional development. He joined the agricultural research service in 2007 as Scientist (Plant Breeding) at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Nandyal, Kurnool dist. under the Tobacco Research Scheme. Subsequently, he was transferred to Agricultural College, Mahanandi, where he served as Assistant Professor and also discharged responsibilities as National Service Scheme (NSS) Officer, actively contributing to GPBR lab development. 

In 2010, Dr. N. Lingaiah was posted to RARS, Warangal, where he worked extensively in rice breeding under the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project (AICRIP). During his tenure, he was actively involved in rice varietal development, evaluation of breeding materials, coordinated trials and large-scale seed production programmes. Later, he was entrusted with the Cotton Research Scheme at RARS, Warangal, where he initiated Bt cotton breeding programmes through systematic crossing and hybridization. He successfully involved in a research project worth Rs.25.00 lakh sanctioned by Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTSAU) for the development of Bt cotton varieties. 

In 2018, Dr. N. Lingaiah was transferred to Agricultural College, Warangal, where he played a pivotal role in the establishment and development of the newly created college. As Officer In-charge of Academic Matters, he contributed significantly to the organization and strengthening of academic programmes. He also served as the first Warden of the Boys Hostel and was instrumental in establishing hostel facilities and student welfare systems. Further, he actively participated in the preparation of accreditation reports as a member of the accreditation committee, contributing to institutional quality assurance mechanisms within the college. 

Upon promotion as Senior Scientist (Plant Breeding) in 2022, Dr.N. Lingaiah was posted as Head of the Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Kampasagar. Under his leadership, the station strengthened its research and seed production activities. He actively led research programmes aimed at developing rice varieties with resistance to blast disease, brown planthopper (BPH) and salinity stress. He also supervised large-scale breeder and foundation seed production programme. As Head of ARS, Kampasagar, he initiated several developmental works, including the establishment of a Rice Quality Laboratory, development of a modern meeting hall, installation of an underground pipeline irrigation system covering nearly 40 acres of seed production fields and construction of bore wells with submersible pump sets to improve irrigation infrastructure.

In addition to his responsibilities as Head, he served as Principal, Agricultural Polytechnic, Kampasagar, for three years. During his tenure, two students secured University Gold Medals for achieving the highest Overall Grade Point Average (OGPA). He also successfully obtained support from the District Administration for the construction of a Cement Concrete (CC) Road within the ARS and Polytechnic campus, significantly improving campus infrastructure.

In 2023, Dr. Lingaiah was promoted as Principal Scientist (Plant Breeding) and continued to serve as Head of ARS, Kampasagar. Throughout his career, he has made substantial contributions to crop improvement programmes and has been associated with the development and release of 17 rice varieties. His contributions to seed production include supervision of more than 10,000 quintals of foundation seed and over 1,000 quintals of breeder seed of various rice varieties. 

Dr. N. Lingaiah has successfully handled externally funded research projects as Co-Investigator, securing grants worth Rs. 35.00 lakh. He has also collaborated with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in conducting international rice trials, attracting research support of Rs.8.00 lakh for strengthening rice research activities. 

An active researcher, Dr. N. Lingaiah has published more than 60 research papers in reputed national and international journals and has contributed to the preparation of technical manuals, production guides and scientific publications. According to his Google Scholar profile, Dr. Lingaiah has received 826 citations, with an h-index of 14 and an i10-index of 19, reflecting the impact, visibility and sustained relevance of his research contributions. These bibliometric indicators demonstrate that his publications have influenced scientific progress and continue to serve as valuable references for researchers and academicians. His expertise encompasses plant breeding, varietal development, seed production, research management, academic administration, institutional development and student mentoring.