After graduating, he joined an ad agency, Clarion, as an illustrator and shifted to Delhi. "On the first day, they asked me to do one an ad on tyres. However much I tried, the nature of work did not agree with my artistic self," says Sanjay. He left the agency nine months later and joined Hindustan Thomson Associates. "They gave me the freedom to freelance," he recalls. Sanjay rented a place in Delhi and managed to complete 16 or 17 watercolours and some oils. He exhibited them in Dhoomimal Gallery. As luck would have it, all the five water colour were sold out within a week. The year was 1988.

Major Solo Exhibitions − 2011 'Master class', Domical Art Gallery, New Delhi − 2011 'Reprise', Aicon Gallery, New York − 2010 'Holy Now', presented by Religare Arts Initiative, New Delhi at Gallery 27, London − 2010 Annual Exhibition, Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi − 2010 'Home and the World', Aicon Gallery, New York − 2008 'Harvest 2008', organized by Arushi Arts at The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi − 2008 'Mystic Expressions', Visual Art Gallery, New Delhi − 1996 'Sanjay Bhattacharya 1981-96',Art Today, New Delhi − 1994 'Rajiv Gandhi: Landscape of a man’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Jahangir Art Gallery, Mumbai − 1992 Jahangir Art Gallery, Mumbai − 1991 Gallery 88, Kolkata − 1989 Chitrakoot Art Gallery, Kolkata − 1988 Gallery Aurobindo, New Delhi Honours and Awards − Best Artist, St Xavier's Award, Calcutta − Sahitya Kala Annual Yuima Mahotsava, Delhi − AIFACS Watercolour Award.

Honours and Awards –

Best Artist, St Xavier's Award, Calcutta

 Sahitya Kala Annual Yuima Mahotsava

Delhi − AIFACS Watercolour Award.