Nidhi Razdan is an Indian journalist and television anchor who spent more than two decades at NDTV, where she rose to executive editor and fronted the nightly debate Left, Right & Centre and the weekly face-off The Big Fight. She made national headlines again on 31 October 2026, when she and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that they had married the previous day.
Nidhi Razdan Biography / Wiki Overview
| Personal Details & Bio Data | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nidhi Razdan |
| Profession | Journalist, television news anchor and author |
| Date of Birth | 11 April 1977 |
| Age | 49 years |
| Roots | Budgam, central Kashmir (Kashmiri Pandit family) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Father | Maharaj Krishan Razdan, former editor-in-chief of Press Trust of India |
| School | Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi |
| College | Lady Shri Ram College; PG Diploma in Radio and TV Journalism, IIMC Delhi (1998–99) |
| Known For | Executive editor and anchor at NDTV; Left, Right & Centre and The Big Fight |
| Book | Left, Right and Centre: The Idea of India (Penguin Random House India, 2017) |
| Spouse | Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (married 30 October 2026) |
| Previous Marriage | Neelesh Misra (2005; divorced 2007) |
Nidhi Razdan at the Young Thinkers Conversation in New Delhi, 4 March 2016.
Photo: British High Commission, New Delhi / Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Early Life and Education
Nidhi comes from a Kashmiri Pandit family with roots in Budgam, in central Kashmir. Journalism runs in the family: her father, Maharaj Krishan Razdan, served as editor-in-chief of the news agency Press Trust of India.
She went to Apeejay School in Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi, and then took her degree at Lady Shri Ram College. Before starting work she spent 1998–99 at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, earning a postgraduate diploma in radio and TV journalism.
Career at NDTV
Razdan joined NDTV in 1999, straight after IIMC, and stayed with the network until June 2020. Over those years she worked her way up to executive editor and became one of the channel’s most recognisable English-language faces.
Her best-known programme was Left, Right & Centre, the evening debate on NDTV 24×7. She also hosted The Big Fight, a weekly show built around guests who take opposing positions on a single issue. Other NDTV slots she anchored included prime-time news, India Decides @ 9 and The Lead.
As a reporter she covered stories from Kashmir and Tibet, and from the United Kingdom after the London train bombings of July 2005.
- NDTV 24×7: prime-time news, Left, Right & Centre, India Decides @ 9, The Lead
- Weekly debate: The Big Fight
- Return stint: No Spin (prime time, from February 2022)
The Harvard Job Offer That Turned Out to Be a Scam
In June 2020 Razdan left NDTV, saying she had accepted a post as an associate professor of journalism at Harvard University. On 15 January 2021 she said on Twitter that the offer had never been real: it was, in her words, a “sophisticated phishing attack”, which came to light when she got in touch with Harvard directly. She said she would take legal action against those responsible.
In her own account, quoted by Scroll, she explained that she had announced her move “after nearly 21 years” at NDTV, and that the scheme had been designed to reach her bank account, her emails and medical records, and other personal data.
Later Work
By May 2021 she was director of strategic programs at the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) and a visiting faculty member at the Kautilya School of Public Policy. She went back to NDTV in February 2022 to present the prime-time show No Spin, and on 31 January 2023 announced on Twitter that she had resigned from the channel.
She is also an author. Her book Left, Right and Centre: The Idea of India came out from Penguin Random House India in July 2017.
Awards
- News Show Host of the Year 2010 (English), Indian News Broadcasting Awards
- Best Anchor, Exchange4media Awards, 2011
- Teacher’s Achievement Award for Communication (Electronic Journalism), 2011
- Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, for reporting from Jammu and Kashmir and north-eastern India
Personal Life: Marriage to Omar Abdullah
On Saturday, 31 October 2026, Razdan and Omar Abdullah both posted wedding photographs. She wrote “It’s done bro” with a ring emoji, while he wrote that “a new journey began yesterday”, placing the wedding on Friday, 30 October. Accounts of the venue vary: Outlook reported a private ceremony in Srinagar followed by a reception in Delhi, while Deccan Herald reported that the marriage was registered under the Special Marriage Act in New Delhi, with further functions in Srinagar.
The wedding came three months after the Supreme Court, in an order dated 31 July 2026, dissolved Omar Abdullah’s marriage to Payal Nath (Payal Abdullah) by mutual consent. Before the announcement, the pair had been the subject of public speculation, including when Razdan attended his swearing-in as Chief Minister in October 2024.
This is her second marriage. She was married to the journalist and writer Neelesh Misra in 2005, and they divorced in 2007.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Nidhi Razdan?
She is an Indian journalist, a former executive editor of NDTV and the long-time host of Left, Right & Centre and The Big Fight. Since 30 October 2026 she has been married to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
How old is Nidhi Razdan?
Nidhi Razdan was born on 11 April 1977, which makes her 49 years old.
Who is Nidhi Razdan’s husband?
Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The couple married on 30 October 2026 and announced it the next day.
Was Nidhi Razdan married before?
Yes. She married writer and journalist Neelesh Misra in 2005; the marriage ended in divorce in 2007.
What happened with Nidhi Razdan and Harvard?
She left NDTV in June 2020 believing she had been hired by Harvard to teach journalism. In January 2021 she disclosed that the offer was fake and part of a phishing attempt to obtain her personal and financial data.
Is Nidhi Razdan still with NDTV?
No. After returning in February 2022 to anchor No Spin, she announced her resignation from NDTV on 31 January 2023.
Who is Nidhi Razdan’s father?
Her father is Maharaj Krishan Razdan, a former editor-in-chief of Press Trust of India.
Related Biographies
- Payal Nath (Payal Abdullah): Omar Abdullah’s former wife
