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Gitanjali Aiyar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth29 January 1947

Age76 Years (at time of death)

ProfessionNews Anchor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusSeparated (at time of death)

SpouseSwaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar

FamilySon - Shekhar Aiyar; Daughter - Pallavi Aiyar

Gitanjali Aiyar Biography

Gitanjali Aiyar was an Indian news anchor best known as one of Doordarshan’s earliest English-language female presenters. Her broadcasting career began in

Early life and background
Gitanjali Aiyar was born on 29 January 1947. She grew up in Delhi and attended Cathedral & John Connon School before going on to graduate from Loreto College in Kolkata. She also earned a diploma from the National School of Drama in New Delhi. From an early age she was drawn to broadcasting and performing, influences that would shape a long career in front of the camera and on the stage.

Career
Aiyar joined Doordarshan in 1971 and became a familiar face in Indian households as a prime-time English newsreader. For more than a decade she presented the 9:00 pm English news several times a week, establishing herself as one of India’s pioneering female news presenters on the national broadcaster. During her Doordarshan tenure she won recognition as a leading anchor, including being named best anchor on multiple occasions and receiving the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women in 1989.

Her work extended beyond newsreading. On radio she hosted a popular Friday-night music program that played listener requests, and she appeared in the 1985 Doordarshan television series Khandaan. Aiyar also acted in stage productions and featured in print advertisements, combining her training in drama with a visible public profile.

In parallel with her broadcast career, Aiyar moved into roles in corporate communications, public relations and government affairs. She worked at Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces in Delhi as a sales and public relations manager in the early 1980s. In the 1990s she held leadership roles in corporate communications at organizations including Damlia Group/Corporate Voice Shandwick and later served as deputy head of Press and Public Affairs at the British High Commission in New Delhi from 1998 to 2001.

After leaving Doordarshan in 2002, she continued in senior communications and public affairs positions. Her roles included vice president of public affairs at Yash Birla Group, director of international sales at The Oberoi Group, consultant for the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and head of the Major Donors Hub for WWF-India. These positions reflected a broadening of her professional focus from broadcasting to corporate and nonprofit communications.

Public profile
Aiyar’s manner on air, distinctive hairstyle and personal style made her a recognizable figure and earned her an enthusiastic audience. She recalled receiving large volumes of fan mail during her years at Doordarshan, and fans sometimes approached her in public seeking details about her hairdresser and tailor. Her on- and off-camera anecdotes—ranging from studio mishaps with animals to the practical challenges of reading from rolled scripts before teleprompters were common—paint a picture of an era in Indian broadcasting that demanded composure and improvisation.

Family and personal life
Gitanjali Aiyar was married to economist and journalist Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar; the marriage was reported as separated at the time of her death. She had two children: a son, Shekhar Aiyar, who worked at the International Monetary Fund in the United States, and a daughter, Pallavi Aiyar, who is a foreign correspondent and author.

Health and death
Aiyar had been living with Parkinson’s disease. On 7 June 2023, after returning from a walk, she collapsed and was taken to a hospital in New Delhi, where she was pronounced dead. She was 76 years old. The immediate cause noted was brain hemorrhage.

Latest updates
Gitanjali Aiyar’s career spanned broadcasting, acting and senior communications roles in corporate and nonprofit sectors. Her passing in June 2023 marked the end of a public life that had helped shape English-language television news presentation in India and influenced a generation of viewers and colleagues.
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Recent Work

Head of Major Donors Hub, WWF-India

Led the Major Donors Hub for World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India.

2011
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Doordarshan as a prime-time English news anchor in 1971
  2. Presented the 9:00 pm English news for over a decade
  3. Won the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women (1989)
  4. Served in senior communications and public affairs roles across corporate and government organizations
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Gitanjali Aiyar born?

29 January 1947

What is Gitanjali Aiyar known for?

News Anchor

What is Gitanjali Aiyar’s marital status?

Separated (at time of death)

Who is Gitanjali Aiyar married to?

Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar