Justice Sri Ponugoti Naveen Rao was born in an agricultural family of Nandi Myadaram village, Dharmaram mandal, Karimnagar district to late Sri Ponugoti Muralidhar Rao and Smt Vimala. Did his graduation from Nizam College, Hyderabad and obtained law degree from University of Delhi in the year 1986. Enrolled as advocate in the year 1986.

Joined in the office of Late Sri Y.Suryanarayana, Senior Advocate. Assisted him in several cases on important issues in service law, many of which are reported in leading journals.

He was Government Pleader for Services, Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal from July, 1997 to December, 2000. He was Special Counsel to Government of Andhra Pradesh in the Central Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad Bench, Hyderabad in All India Service Matters from March, 1997 to April, 1999. He was Special Counsel to Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission in High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal. Served as legal advisor and as counsel to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). He was Government Pleader for Services-I, High Court of Andhra Pradesh from June, 2009 and continued as such till elevation as Additional Judge, High Court of Andhra Pradesh on 12^th April, 2013. Appointed as a permanent Judge of High Court at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh on 8^th September, 2014.