Vikas Gowda was born on 5th July in the year 1983 in Mysore, India. He is the son of Shive and Vijaya Gowda. His father coached the 1988 Indian Olympic Track and Field Team. He is an Indian discus thrower. His personal best throw is achieved in May 2007 in Salinas, which is 64.96 meters. He is majoring in math. At the prep level he has won seven Maryland state titles, broke the state discus record - 200-2, won the discus at the National Scholastic meet, breaking the meet record in the process, Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year in Maryland, Track and Field News All-America in the discus and shot.

At the freshman year he has participated at All-ACC in the discus, represented India at the Junior World Games, finishing eighth in the shot put and 12th in the discus. In the second year of graduation he earned All-America honors in the discus by virtue of a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, ACC discus champion, NCAA East Regional runner-up in the discus, All-ACC in the indoor shot put with a third-place finish at the ACC Championships. At his junior year he represented his country India as Olympian in the discus, finishing 14th overall; other achievements achieved by him are:

1. Won the silver medal in the discus at the Asian Championships,
2. Earned All-America honors in the discus with a runner-up performance at the NCAA Championships,
3. Competed in the World Championships in the discus, finishing 14th overall,
4. Ranked 19th in the world in the discus by the IAAF,
5. NCAA East Regional runner-up in the discus,
6. Named Most Outstanding Male Field Performer at the Penn Relays after winning the discus,
7. Established a new Indian national record in the discus - 212-3,
8. ACC discus champion,
9. Earned All-America honors in the indoor shot put with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships,
10. ACC champion in the indoor shot put, breaking the ACC meet record in the process,
11. Established school records in the indoor shot put (64-3 ¾) and the discus (212-3).