Shekhar Gupta is an Indian journalist, columnist and author. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the news platform ThePrint. This Shekhar Gupta biography covers his life and career, from his early reporting for The Indian Express to running ThePrint. He hosts ThePrint’s Off the Cuff interview series, and his YouTube show Cut The Clutter gives a daily analysis of the biggest news stories. In October 2026 he is also at the centre of an online row over an opinion piece on Sharjeel Imam.
Shekhar Gupta Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Shekhar Gupta |
| Date of Birth | 26 August 1957 |
| Age | 69 years (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Palwal, Haryana, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Not stated in reliable sources |
| Education | Bachelor of Journalism, Panjab University |
| Profession | Journalist, columnist, author, media entrepreneur |
| Known For | ThePrint, National Interest column, Walk the Talk, Cut The Clutter, Off the Cuff |
| Spouse | Neelam Jolly (per Wikipedia) |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan (2009) |
| X (Twitter) | @ShekharGupta |
Who Is Shekhar Gupta?
Gupta is one of India’s best-known political commentators. ThePrint describes its approach as “non-hyphenated” journalism, neither Left nor Right, liberal on society and liberal on the economy. His weekly column National Interest has run for decades and is widely read in Indian political and policy circles.
He is also a major voice on Pakistan in the Indian media. His ThePrint profile says he did more than a dozen reporting tours in Pakistan. That makes him relevant to Pakistani readers, who often come across his commentary on the Pakistan Army, Imran Khan and India-Pakistan relations.
Early Life and Family
Shekhar Gupta was born on 26 August 1957 in Palwal, then in Punjab and now in Haryana. Little is publicly documented about his parents or siblings. One biography site says his father was a government employee, but that comes from a low-quality source.
Education
He studied for three years at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Palwal, then completed a Bachelor of Journalism at Panjab University in 1975–76. Thapar University in Patiala later awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science in 2013.
Shekhar Gupta Career
The Indian Express and India Today (1977–1995)
Gupta started at The Indian Express in 1977, worked there for about six years, then moved to India Today. At India Today he covered some of the biggest stories of the 1980s and early 1990s. These included the Nellie massacre in Assam, Operation Blue Star, Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first Gulf War from Baghdad and the Afghan jihad. His first book, Assam: A Valley Divided, came out in 1984.
Editor-in-Chief of The Indian Express (1990s–2014)
He returned to The Indian Express as editor-in-chief and CEO in 1996, according to Wikipedia. ThePrint’s profile says he was editor-in-chief for 19 years and CEO for 13. The paper won the International Press Institute’s award three times under him. The awards were for its Gujarat riots coverage, the 2009 Bihar flood relief scam and its Malegaon blasts investigation. He resigned in 2014 and spent about two months at the India Today Group before leaving.
Walk the Talk on NDTV (2003–2017)
From 2003 to 2017 he hosted the interview show Walk the Talk on NDTV 24×7. Over about 15 years he spoke to more than 600 guests. The conversations were later collected in the 2018 book Walk the Talk: Decoding Politicians.
Founding ThePrint (2016–present)
ThePrint’s parent company, Printline Media Pvt Ltd, was incorporated in New Delhi in September 2016, and the site launched in August 2017. Its first funding round drew investors including Ratan Tata, Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, the Uday Kotak family, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Reports at the time said investors would hold close to 20% equity, with the rest held by Gupta. ThePrint focuses on politics, policy, defence and governance. It also publishes regional-language editions.
Major Awards and Recognition
- 1985: Inlaks Young Journalist of the Year
- 1987: G.K. Reddy Memorial Award
- 2006: Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award for National Integration
- 2009: Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour
- 2016: Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak Award
- 2013: Honorary D.Sc., Thapar University
- 2018: Elected president of the Editors Guild of India
Shekhar Gupta and Pakistan
Pakistan is a regular subject of Gupta’s writing. These are opinion pieces written from an Indian perspective, and Pakistani readers will have their own views on them.
- Asim Munir: In August 2026 his National Interest column called Munir’s latest consolidation of power a sign of paranoia. A 2025 Business Standard column discussed Munir’s tightened grip and his “fifth star”.
- Imran Khan: A column dated 29 August 2026 discussed the cricketing world’s concern for Imran Khan in Adiala jail.
- Foreign policy: Cut The Clutter episodes in August 2026 covered the Pakistan–Saudi–Turkey defence arrangement and a remark by minister Mohsin Naqvi about Munir’s plans.
- Domestic politics: A September 2026 column argued India should keep Pakistan and Bangladesh out of its own politics.
Controversies
The 2012 “coup” report and legal notice
In 2012 The Indian Express carried a report under Gupta’s own byline on troop movements near Delhi, which critics said suggested a coup scare. Gupta said he had reported the government’s alarm, not speculated about a coup. When Outlook’s Vinod Mehta called the report a serious mistake, Gupta sent a legal notice seeking Rs 100 crore. Then-army chief V.K. Singh also attacked him publicly on social media in 2013.
AgustaWestland chargesheet mention (2019)
In April 2019 Gupta was one of three journalists named in a supplementary Enforcement Directorate chargesheet in the AgustaWestland case. The ED alleged that Christian Michel said he paid a middleman to “tone down” an Indian Express article. The Indian Express and Gupta had helped bring the deal into public view, and the chargesheet leak was later taken up by the Delhi High Court.
Cobrapost sting criticism (2018)
The Caravan published a critique saying Gupta applied different standards to sting journalism depending on who carried it out. He had given his own editorial view on the Cobrapost sting on X.
The Sharjeel Imam opinion piece (October 2026)
On 19 October 2026 Gupta posted a thread on X about an interview Sharjeel Imam gave to The Quint, which he called an “Islamist manifesto”. He linked a ThePrint opinion piece on it. That piece appeared on 17 October under the pseudonym “Ibn Khaldun Bharati”. Imam is on trial in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
Reactions split along familiar lines:
- Critics questioned the piece and the writer’s anonymity. Historian S. Irfan Habib and journalist Parth MN were among those who asked who the author was. Politician Saket Gokhale also sharply criticised Gupta’s thread.
- Supporters said the column raised a fair question about liberal silence on Imam’s stated views. One Hindi video framed it as left-liberal critics branding Gupta a “Sanghi”.
- ThePrint’s stated position: An earlier bio line for the author said the pseudonym is used because the writer’s employer’s policy doesn’t allow his real name.
Gupta’s thread had around 2.2 million views by the time the page was captured. The row is ongoing as of 27 October 2026. x
Personal Life
Wikipedia lists his spouse as Neelam Jolly. Some biography sites say she runs an NGO called Vishwas, but these are low-quality sources. A media-ownership registry says his wife holds a combined 9% stake in The Indian Express Private Limited with him. No reliable public information on children was found. He lives in Delhi.
Shekhar Gupta Net Worth
No credible, verified figure exists, and this article does not state one. Sites that list a number are guessing. What is documented is that, according to 2017 reports, outside investors held about 20% of Printline Media and Gupta held the rest. ThePrint reportedly raised about Rs 45 crore from investors in its early rounds. That is company funding, not Gupta’s personal wealth.
Shekhar Gupta in 2026
Gupta remains active as ThePrint’s editor-in-chief. His ThePrint author page lists 1,168 posts, and Cut The Clutter remains the platform’s daily show. Recent activity includes:
- Weekly columns (October 2026): “Modi at 25” (10 Oct), a piece asking Rahul Gandhi 12 questions (17 Oct), and a column on India’s refining sector and anti-Americanism (24 Oct). Together they show him criticising both the ruling party and the opposition.
- Events: He was on a panel at a CII summit alongside India’s chief economic adviser in May 2026.
- Video: He interviewed Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran on Cut The Clutter on 4 September 2026 about GDP methodology.
- Controversy: The Sharjeel Imam row described above.
Books and Shows
| Title | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Assam: A Valley Divided | Book | 1984 |
| India Redefines its Role | Book (IISS Adelphi Paper) | 1995 |
| Anticipating India: The Best of National Interest | Book | 2014 |
| Walk the Talk: Decoding Politicians | Book | 2018 |
| Walk the Talk | NDTV 24×7 TV show | 2003–2017 |
| Off the Cuff | ThePrint interview series | Ongoing |
| Cut The Clutter | ThePrint daily YouTube show | Ongoing |
| National Interest | Weekly column | Ongoing |
Shekhar Gupta FAQs
How old is Shekhar Gupta?
He was born on 26 August 1957, so he is 69 in October 2026.
Who is Shekhar Gupta’s wife?
Wikipedia lists his wife as Neelam Jolly. Little else about her is confirmed in reliable sources.
What is Shekhar Gupta’s net worth?
No verified figure exists. See the net worth section above for what is documented.
Who owns ThePrint?
ThePrint is run by Printline Media Pvt Ltd, founded by Gupta. In 2017 outside investors reportedly held about 20%. Current ownership is not confirmed here.
Which shows does Shekhar Gupta host?
He hosts Cut The Clutter (daily) and Off the Cuff (interviews) on ThePrint. He previously hosted Walk the Talk on NDTV 24×7.
Where did Shekhar Gupta study?
He completed a Bachelor of Journalism at Panjab University and attended Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Palwal before that.
What has Shekhar Gupta said about Pakistan?
He writes regularly about the Pakistan Army, Imran Khan and India-Pakistan relations. His 2026 columns discuss Asim Munir’s consolidation of power and Imran Khan’s imprisonment. These are his opinions from an Indian viewpoint.
Last updated: October 2026
