Ravish Kumar

Kumar has twice been conferred with Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for the Best Journalist of the Year and became the fifth Indian journalist to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2019.

• Name — Ravish Kumar • Born — 5 December 1974 • Birthplace — Jitwarpur, East Champaran, Bihar, India • Education — University of Delhi Indian Institute of Mass Communication • Occupation — Journalist • Employer — NDTV (1994–2022) • Spouse — Nayana Dasgupta • Children — 2 • Awards — * Peabody Awards (2024) • Ramon Magsaysay Award (2019) • Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards (2013 and 2017) • Red Ink Award (2016) • Youtube Handle — @ravishkumar.official • Youtube Display Name — Ravish Kumar Official • Youtube Subscribers — 14.6 million • Youtube Views — 2.95 billion • Stats Update — 6 June 2026

Kumar was born on 5 December 1974 in Jitwarpur village in East Champaran district of Bihar, to Baliram Pandey and Yashoda Pandey. He obtained his high school education from Loyola High School, Patna. Later he moved to Delhi for higher studies. He graduated from Deshbandhu College, affiliated with the University of Delhi. Eventually he enrolled in post-graduate diploma in Hindi Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. Kumar has a brother named Brajesh Kumar, who is an Indian National Congress leader from Bihar.

From 1994 to 2022, he was employed by NDTV India, eventually as a senior director. He hosted several programmes, including the channel's flagship weekday show Prime Time, Hum Log, Ravish Ki Report and Des Ki Baat. He has received death threats in the past for his journalism. On 30 November 2022, he resigned from NDTV, following the acquisition of NDTV by Adani Group.

Kumar started a YouTube channel after resigning from his job at NDTV. On 5 May 2024, his channel reached the milestone of 10 million subscribers.

Kumar is married to Nayana Dasgupta who teaches history at the Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. He has two daughters- Tanima and Tanisha.

Kumar was the subject of the 2023 documentary While We Watched directed by Vinay Shukla.

• Illustration — Ravish Kumar (visible on stage on the left) speaking during a lecture at University of Chicago Center's Journalism week in New Delhi in 2018. Kumar has been conferred various awards for his work in journalism including the Ramon Magsaysay Award (2019). He has twice been the recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2017, 2013) for the broadcast category in the Hindi language. The list of honours continues with Gauri Lankesh Award for Journalism, first Kuldip Nayar Journalism Award (2017), Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Award for Hindi Journalism and Creative Literature (for 2010, awarded in 2014). He was included in the list of 100 most influential Indians (2016) by The Indian Express and also named Journalist of the Year by the Mumbai Press Club. Kumar was awarded the Honorary Title for Freedom of Expression for his critical and independent journalism in India by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Brussels, Belgium on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, 2023.

• Year — Award — Category — Result — Ref. • 2013 — Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award — Broadcast category in the Hindi language • 2014 — Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Award — For Hindi Journalism and Creative Literature (for 2010) • 2016 — Red Ink Award — Journalist of the Year Award for his consistent and down to earth reporting on politics and issues that concern the common man • 2017 — Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award — Broadcast category in the Hindi language • 2019 — Ramon Magsaysay Award — For his unfaltering commitment to a professional, ethical journalism of the highest standards; his moral courage in standing up for truth, integrity, and independence; and his principled belief that it is in giving full and respectful voice to the voiceless, in speaking truth bravely yet soberly to power, that journalism fulfills its noblest aims to advance democracy. • Gauri Lankesh Memorial Award — He was chosen for the award for sharp news analysis and uncompromising secular stance by the Gauri Lankesh Memorial Trust, founded in memory of the journalist. • 2023 — Honorary Title for Freedom of Expression — For his critical and independent journalism in India by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Brussels, Belgium on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, 2023.