Journalism Speakers in India

Arun Anand is a bilingual author, columnist, broadcaster and journalist with three decades of experience. He has penned more than 15 books in English  and Hindi. He officially translated Barack Obama's 'Audacity of Hope in India'. A former media advisor to Union Health Minister  from 2014 to 2016, he contributes  columns to Navbharat Times, Dainik Jagaran,Indian Express, Hindustan Times and New Indian Express. He has worked with leading media houses of the country including India Today group,IANS, Mid Day, The Statesman, Dainik Jagaran, Dainik Bhaskar, The Print. He also sits on mainstream TV channels as an expert during prime time discussions and does regular podcasts and Vlogs in both English  and Hindi. Currently he is also a senior fellow with Dharampal Shodhpeeth in Bhopal under Swaraj institute of Madhya Pradesh govt. At present he is also consulting editor with Network18 group.

Bhupendra Chaubey Former Editor In Chief - India Ahead and prior to this was the Executive Editor with CNN IBN. He worked with NDTV as a political journalist and has travelled length and breadth of the country and has covered four general elections and assembly elections of most states. He has interviewed all top politicians and newsmakers of last decade and a half. He started his journalism career precisely 19 years ago with NDTV. He is amongst those journalists who depend more on their ground political awareness, supplementing it with academic awareness of issues that confront the nation.

Rajdeep Sardesai is a senior journalist and the author of the best-selling book 2014: The Election that Changed India. With 26 years of experience in print and television, he served as managing editor of the NDTV network before founding the IBN 18 network, where he was the founding editor of CNN IBN. He began his career with the Times of India as city editor of its Mumbai edition. Currently a consulting editor with the India Today Group, he anchors a prime-time show on India Today. Sardesai specializes in national politics and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Padma Shri for Journalism in 2008.

Fatima was a senior anchor and producer for Network 18. While at CNN IBN and CNBC-TV18, she anchored daily hard news shows as well as special programming around the Indian Budget, the Luxury Summit and the India Art Fair. Before media, she was a banker in London. She holds both Economics and International Relations degrees from Boston University, MA, USA as well as a Masters in Diplomacy Law and Business. She recently won the FICCI Young Women’s Achiever Award for Media. Fatima is passionate about Indian contemporary and modern Indian art and jumped on the opportunity to contribute to TAKE on art. Fatima has profiled top voices from the fields of politics, business, and the arts. She is particularly interested in showcasing more female voices on Indian television. Fatima has also initiated and anchored 'Bloomberg Women Mean Business'.

As a Consultant and Contributor, Mehraj Dube leverages his marketing and editorial expertise to help businesses and their founders market better and grow faster. He has a rare blend of communications, editorial, marketing skills with a proven track record of 20+ years in managing multiple complex projects to achieve group level goals. Mehraj brings clarity, energy and innovation through newsrooms and corporate teams to develop and orchestrate breakthrough communications. He has led strategic planning and resource management to execute and deliver multi-million-dollar projects in marketing and related functions for trendsetting brands like ZEE News, WION and ABP News. Dube is a career journalist who has mostly worked with NDTV. He had also been associated with Reliance Industries and Star News. After many years in journalism, he moved into a business role in a media company. 

Sudha Menon is an author, a columnist and a writing coach, and spent over 20 years as a journalist with leading newspapers. She is the author of three non-fiction books. A writing coach, Sudha is the founder of ‘Get Writing! , a writing workshop that helps people kick start their writing journey and ‘Writing In the Park’, an initiative that she started to get people to spend time in the outdoors, exploring their creativity while writing with her in public parks and gardens. Sudha is also a motivational speaker who has conducted numerous inspirational workshops and women’s leadership sessions for various corporates, educational institutions and NGO’s across the country. She was also a speaker at TEDxPune 2013 edition.

Rahul is a journalist and TV anchor, celebrated for his role as the editor-in-chief at Times Now. With a career spanning over two decades, he began as a print reporter in the mid-1990s and later became a key figure in the launch team of Headlines Today (2003). Recognized for his coverage of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he showcased his journalistic prowess. Moving to NewsX (2013), he became the editor-in-chief, receiving acclaim, including the ENBA's "Best English News Channel of the Year" (2014). Joining Times Now (2016) as editor-in-chief, he has since hosted "India Upfront" and won the Best Primetime Show (English) at the 13th ENBA Awards (2021). Rahul is a prolific columnist for the Times of India's editorial page, showcasing his versatility in the field. Rahul is currently a progressive-conservative author, the Consulting Editor - Network 18, and hosts a prime-time show called the "Hard Facts" for CNN News 18.

Ratneshwar Kumar Singh is one of the highest paid authors of India. In 2017, he was signed for the Hindi novel ‘Rekhna Meri Jaan’ for 1.77 crores. He is famous for writing novels or stories on environment, women leadership, science, primitive person, primitive culture and spirituality.  He is the Author of 23 books and is also a famous motivational speaker. He conducts workshops on various topics in different institutions of India like Reliance Energy Ltd. (Mumbai), IICM (Ranchi), IIMC (New Delhi), NTPC, UI Insurance, B.H.U. (Varanasi), MNJ University (Bhopal), NIFT (Patna) and many more. He worked as a Dean with Notre Dame Communication Centre, Patna.  He worked as Dy. Editor of ‘Maurya TV’ and has written the script for popular television show “Mano ya na mano” for Star One.

A versatile and transformative news personality with over two decades of experience, Navika Kumar is a name to reckon with in News Broadcasting in India. Navika leads the editorial mandate of Times Now Navbharat. Under her leadership, the Hindi news channel has built a strong affinity with the viewers and advertisers alike, within a year of its launch. In her role as the Group Editor of Times Network, Navika drives the Political Reporting strategy for the Network’s news brands and its digital entity. An integral part of the Network’s flagship brand, TIMES NOW since inception, Navika anchors the primetime show ‘The Newshour’ @ 9 pm & the popular interview format show ‘Frankly Speaking’ on the channel.

Dr. Chandra Rajan’s career is marked by dedication, versatility, and a deep commitment to peacemaking. Beginning as a journalist in 1990, Dr. Rajan held various roles until 2015 while earning a Ph.D. in Marketing from UBS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 2004. Transitioning into law, Dr. Rajan completed an LLB from the University of Delhi and now serves as a full-time advocate, mediator, and arbitrator. With over 300 cases handled, Dr. Rajan prioritizes guiding clients through legal complexities and fostering peaceful resolutions, achieving settlements in 60% of cases before reaching court. Remaining passionate about journalism, Dr. Rajan continues as a freelance writer, contributing book reviews and engaging in global forums. Serving as a judge in moot courts and a jury member in Lok Adalats, Dr. Rajan finds fulfillment in bringing clients clarity and peace in legal matters.

Barkha Dutt is an award-winning TV journalist, anchor, and columnist with more than two decades of reporting experience. She is India's only Emmy-nominated journalist who has won multiple national and international awards, including the Padmashri, which is India's fourth-highest civilian honour. Barkha Dutt has reported from some of the toughest spots and conflict zones in India and across the world including Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Egypt. Her frontline reporting of the Kargil war first made her a household name.

Vineet Malhotra is a versatile professional with a rich career spanning over 16 years. He is a Prime Time TV Host, Award-Winning Musician, Author, and prominent sports journalist. Vineet's media journey includes roles at renowned channels like Times Now with Arnab Goswami, Tiranga TV with Barkha Dutt, and his current position as Consulting Editor at NewsX. Vineet's accolades include consecutive AVIMA awards in music for three years, the BCS Ratna Award for Journalism, and the PHDCCI award for best anchor/debate show host for two years. He has hosted prestigious national and international events like IPL, Commonwealth Games 2010, 2012 Olympics, 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the CCL. Fluent in five languages, Vineet's international upbringing across six countries, has enriched his perspective. He contributes to esteemed publications like the Sunday Guardian and Times of India, and he's a signed author with OM and Penguin, working on multiple upcoming books.

Tamal Bandyopadhyay is a Consulting Editor at Business Standard and also serves as a Senior Advisor at Jana Small Finance Bank. He has also served as an Advisor to Bandhan Bank. He is an Indian business journalist, known for his weekly column on banking and finance. Mr. Bandhyopadhyay is a recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism in the Commentary and Interpretive Writing Category for 2017. He has authored five books on finance, all of them have been non-fiction best sellers. 

Shekhar is one of India’s best-known political journalists and currently serves as the Founder and Editor-in-Chief at The Print, an exciting news media start-up. He is a prolific columnist with the highly influential column National Interest, which is translated into several languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati and Marathi. He is also a columnist for the Business Standard and pens a weekly column which appears every Saturday. He is a senior prime-time anchor at NDTV. Prior to this, he was the Editor-In-Chief at The Indian Express, under his leadership, The Indian Express won the Vienna-based International Press Institute's Award for Outstanding Journalism in the Public Interest thrice.

Anupama Chopra is a film critic, journalist and National Award-winning author. She is chairperson of the Film Critics Guild and director of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She has worked with India Today, NDTV 24×7, Star World and is currently founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema and entertainment. She has written for various international publications, including The New York Times, Variety, and Sight & Sound. Chopra has authored several books, including King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema, which featured on the Editors’ Choice list of The New York Times Sunday Book Review and has been translated into German, Indonesian and Polish. Her latest book A Place in My Heart, her latest book, is an easy read of 50 plus chapters, presenting a curated selection of films, actors and events that have impacted and influenced Chopra in more ways than one

Kaveree Bamzai is an independent journalist with more than 30 years at India Today, The Indian Express and The Times of India. She is the author of two books. She was the first, and so far, only woman editor of India Today, where she was employed till January 2019. A recipient of the Chevening Scholarship, she has worked in The Times of India and The Indian Express before this. She has spoken at several media platforms on cinema, gender and youth, and was a TEDx Speaker.

Avanne has over 15 years of experience as a Prime Time Business News Anchor with ET Now under the Times Group - India’s largest media conglomerate. Avanne has hosted events like The Times Network Global Business Summit, India Economic Conclave, ET Awards Red Carpet, Nykaa Beauty & You Awards, Anand Rathi Wealth Rendezvous, Elle Deco International Design Awards, AZB & Partners’ ‘Ladies in the Law’ Video Series and more. In her role as a news anchor, she hosts the market open show, ‘The Market’ daily where she interviews top market and corporate voices of India. On the show ‘Startup Central’, she engages with veterans from the PE and VC space along with leading entrepreneurs.

Smita Prakash is a veteran journalist with nearly two decades of impactful contributions. Graduating in journalism from the University of Delhi, she embarked on her career at ANI in 1986, steadily climbing the ranks. Her marriage to Sanjeev furthered ANI's government connections. Smita reported for NPR News America, NHK Japan, and other global broadcasters, covering elections, natural disasters, and international events. Renowned for anchoring popular TV shows like "Rotating Mirror" and "Newsmakers," she hosted the longest-running South African TV show, "This Week in India." Notably, her interviewing prowess was spotlighted in the 2019 interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As an Editor and News Reporter at ANI, she continues to shape the narrative of Indian-region news globally.

Shweta Kothari is a seasoned journalist and adjunct Professor of Media Studies, currently with TV9 Network. With over a decade of experience in broadcast and digital media, Shweta has managed digital newsrooms and teams of content creators. She is a passionate academic, guest speaker, and lecturer, teaching postgraduate Journalism students at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Her career spans major media outlets, including CNBC-TV18, NDTV, and NewsX, where she honed skills in reporting, anchoring, content production, and data analytics. Shweta holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex.