Born in 1950, in Mumbai, Dilip Ranade is known for his paintings, drawings, and sculptures In 1971, he studied drawing and painting at the Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai He was deeply curious about Museology and pursued studies further in the same field In 1984, Rande received an Indo-US sub-commission grant to study Museology

Ranade’s artistic vision was deeply influenced by the Northern Renaissance painter, Matthias Grunewald's tortured bodies in the Isenheim Altarpiece He honed his artistic skills at the Natural History Department of the CSMVS Museum in scientific painting, modelling, and taxidermy His paintings mirror his imagination and glimpses of his emotional understanding of the surroundings around him are reflected in his paintings He explores the themes of space, time, and identity in his art and invites the viewer to take a deep look into his dreams and thoughts

The artist has showcased his works in various group exhibitions in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore and held his solo exhibitions at Jehangir Art Gallery, in Mumbai as well He has also presented several slide lectures on Portraiture and the Techniques of Diorama Making
In 2018, he was felicitated by the 'Art Society of India Mumbai for his artistic contributions The eminent artist was honoured with 'Balashastri Jambhekar Puraskar' in 2013 for translating 'Rekhachitravichar' of the catalogue by Ranjit Hoskote

He continues to work and lives in Mumbai