Akansha is trained in literary studies and literary theory. She taught briefly at Ashoka University before joining NALSAR. Her areas of research interest include nationalism, postcolonial modernity, affective modernity, print culture, and feminism.
Her Ph.D dissertation, titled “Subverting Narratives of Nationalism: A Cross- National Study of Borges and Muktibodh”, uses a triadic framework of affect, time, and representation to study literary resistance against nationalism and modernity. Her MA dissertation examined fragmented narratives in Borges’ works.
In 2022, Akansha set up the Writing Lab at NALSAR, which routinely organises guest and peer workshops and provides student-tailored, one-on-one consultations. As part of the Writing Lab endeavour, she also conducts the annual language survey to assess and understand English language-related inequalities among students on campus.