Nidhi Razdan is an Indian journalist and television personality born in Budgam in the central region of Jammu and Kashmir. She holds Indian nationality and belongs to a Kashmiri Pandit family with deep roots in the region.
Her professional path has centered on broadcast journalism, where she built a long association with one of India’s major news networks and later expanded into writing, academic roles, and independent media work. This account draws on publicly verified details of her background, professional milestones, and personal circumstances.
Nidhi Razdan Early Life
Nidhi Razdan was born on 11 April 1977 in Budgam, a district in central Kashmir within Jammu and Kashmir. Her family belongs to the Kashmiri Pandit community, and the place of origin holds cultural and historical significance for many families from the region. Budgam lies in the heart of the Kashmir Valley, an area known for its landscapes, traditional settlements, and complex modern history. Her family later moved to New Delhi, where she spent much of her childhood and completed her schooling.
Her father, Maharaj Krishan Razdan, served as editor in chief of the Press Trust of India, one of the country’s leading news agencies. Growing up in a household closely connected to news and current affairs shaped her early interest in journalism. Her mother, Sarla Razdan, managed the home and later authored a book on Kashmiri cooking. She has a brother named Nitin Razdan. Family accounts describe a childhood marked by regular discussions of events of the day and occasional visits to Kashmir that left lasting impressions.
She attended Apeejay School in Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi. After school she enrolled at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, also in New Delhi, where she completed her undergraduate studies. She then pursued a postgraduate diploma in radio and television journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Delhi during the 1998 to 1999 academic year. These institutions provided the formal training that prepared her for a career in television news. Early on she considered medicine but shifted toward media under the influence of her father’s profession and her own growing interest in reporting.
Nidhi Razdan Career
Nidhi Razdan joined NDTV in 1999 shortly after completing her diploma. She began as a young reporter and gradually took on greater responsibilities in political and foreign affairs coverage. Over more than two decades she rose to the position of executive editor and became one of the network’s primary anchors.
Nidhi Razdan Reporting Assignments
Her reporting covered major political developments, general and state elections, and significant diplomatic stories such as the India United States nuclear agreement. She reported from the ground on the earthquakes that struck Gujarat in 2001 and Kashmir in 2005. She also produced documentaries from Pakistan administered Kashmir, Tibet, and the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the 2005 London bombings. Her work frequently focused on Jammu and Kashmir, reflecting both professional assignment and personal connection to the region. As a diplomatic correspondent she followed India’s external relations and international events.
Nidhi Razdan Anchor Roles
On NDTV 24×7 she hosted several programs. The best known was the evening debate show Left, Right and Centre, which examined current political and social issues through discussion. She also anchored India Decides at 9, The Lead, and later the weekly debate program The Big Fight. These shows established her as a familiar face in Indian English language news television, known for measured questioning and coverage of national debates.
In June 2020 she announced her departure from NDTV after nearly twenty one years, stating that she planned to take up a teaching position at Harvard University. In January 2021 she publicly revealed that the offer had been part of an elaborate phishing operation. Fraudsters had impersonated university staff, conducted interviews, issued forged documents, and obtained personal information including banking and medical details. Harvard confirmed it had no record of any such appointment. She filed a complaint with Delhi police and described the episode as a sophisticated attempt to access her data and communications. The incident forced a temporary pause in her television career.
She returned to NDTV in early 2022 to anchor the primetime program No Spin. In January 2023 she resigned again, describing the overall period as a roller coaster and stating it was time to move forward. Following her second exit she took on academic and independent media roles. She served as director of strategic programmes and outreach at the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management and as visiting faculty at the Kautilya School of Public Policy. More recently she has been associated with deKoder, a digital platform founded by Prannoy Roy, and has contributed analysis on international and domestic affairs. She has also written opinion columns and remained active in discussions on the state of Indian media.
Nidhi Razdan as Author
In 2017 Penguin Random House India published Left, Right and Centre: The Idea of India, a collection of essays edited by Nidhi Razdan with her own introductory contribution. Timed around the seventieth anniversary of Indian independence, the volume brought together politicians, activists, administrators, artists, and academics who offered varied perspectives on the country’s political and social identity. The book examined themes of pluralism, regional challenges including Kashmir, and competing ideological viewpoints. It reflected the same interest in diverse argument that characterized her television work.
Nidhi Razdan Personal Life
Nidhi Razdan married journalist and writer Neelesh Misra in 2005. The marriage ended in divorce in 2007. She has spoken publicly about her close relationship with her mother, describing her as a source of strength and positivity, particularly during health challenges. Family ties to Kashmir remained important, and she has written about childhood visits and the later displacement of relatives during the period of unrest in the early 1990s.
In October 2026 she married Omar Abdullah, who serves as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The private ceremony in Delhi marked a new chapter after years of professional focus. She maintains a relatively private personal life beyond these publicly known relationships and continues to balance family connections with professional commitments.
Nidhi Razdan Awards
Her reporting and anchoring have received formal recognition. She was awarded the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism for coverage of Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states. The government of Jammu and Kashmir also honored her for outstanding work in journalism. In 2010 she received the News Show Host of the Year award in the English category at the Indian News Broadcasting Awards. The following year she earned the Best Anchor title at the Exchange4media Awards and the Teacher’s Achievement Award for Communication in electronic journalism. An International Press Institute India award recognized her program’s coverage related to the Kathua case. These honors reflect sustained professional contribution across political, regional, and investigative reporting.
Conclusion
Nidhi Razdan’s path from a Kashmiri Pandit family in Budgam to a prominent role in Indian television journalism illustrates both personal determination and the demands of a changing media landscape. Her long tenure at NDTV, ground reporting on critical national events, and later work in writing and digital platforms form a coherent body of professional achievement. The phishing episode that interrupted her career in 2020 highlighted vulnerabilities even for experienced public figures, yet she continued to engage with journalism and public discussion. Her recent marriage and ongoing contributions keep her visible in both personal and professional spheres. Readers seeking a full picture of contemporary Indian broadcast journalism will find her career a useful case study of endurance, adaptation, and continued relevance.
FAQs
What is Nidhi Razdan’s full name and nationality?
Nidhi Razdan is her full name. She is an Indian national belonging to the Kashmiri Pandit community.
Where was Nidhi Razdan born?
She was born in Budgam in central Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir.
When did Nidhi Razdan join NDTV?
She joined NDTV in 1999 after completing her postgraduate diploma in journalism.
What shows did Nidhi Razdan anchor?
She is best known for Left, Right and Centre and The Big Fight, along with India Decides at 9 and The Lead.
What is the Harvard phishing incident involving Nidhi Razdan?
In 2020 she believed she had received an offer to teach journalism at Harvard University and left NDTV. In January 2021 she discovered the offer was fabricated by fraudsters who sought personal data through forged communications. Harvard confirmed no such appointment existed.
Has Nidhi Razdan written a book?
Yes. In 2017 she published Left, Right and Centre: The Idea of India, a collection of essays on Indian identity and politics.
Who is Nidhi Razdan married to?
She was previously married to Neelesh Misra from 2005 to 2007. In October 2026 she married Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
What awards has Nidhi Razdan received?
Notable awards include the Ramnath Goenka Award for reporting from Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, a Jammu and Kashmir state award for journalism, News Show Host of the Year in 2010, Best Anchor in 2011, and an International Press Institute recognition for coverage related to the Kathua case.