Anjana Om Kashyap is one of the most recognised, most debated, and most watched faces on Indian television news.
As Senior Executive Editor of Aaj Tak, India’s most-watched Hindi news channel, she has anchored prime-time debates, reported from conflict zones, and built a career defined by fearlessness, conviction, and a distinctly aggressive anchoring style that has won her millions of loyal viewers and an equal number of fierce critics. Her flagship show Halla Bol is among the most-watched news programmes in Indian television history.
She came to journalism the long way, through failed medical entrance exams, an unrealised UPSC dream, and a diploma course at Jamia Millia Islamia, and has turned that circuitous path into one of the most influential careers in Indian broadcast media.
Profile
| Full Name | Anjana Om Kashyap |
| Date of Birth | 12 June 1975 |
| Age | 50 |
| Birthplace | Ranchi, Jharkhand, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Journalist, News Anchor, Television Host |
| Ethnicity | Bhumihar Brahmin |
| Parents | Late Dr. Om Prakash Tiwari (father, ex-Defence Officer); mother from Bihar Sharif |
| Siblings | One brother |
| Spouse | Mangesh Kashyap (IPS Officer) |
| Children | One son, one daughter |
| Height | Approximately 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Net Worth | Estimated Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore (various sources, 2024) |
Early Life
Anjana Om Kashyap was born on 12 June 1975 in Ranchi, the capital of what is today Jharkhand State, India. Her family has its roots in Arrah city in Bihar. She was born into a Bhumihar Brahmin family; her father, the late Dr. Om Prakash Tiwari, was an ex-Defence Officer, and her mother hails from Bihar Sharif. She grew up in a disciplined, educationally oriented household, and she has one brother.
Anjana’s childhood aspirations were firmly directed toward medicine. She appeared for multiple Pre-Medical Admission Tests after completing her schooling at Loreto Convent School, Ranchi, a prestigious convent institution, but was unable to clear any of them. Undaunted, she redirected her educational ambitions toward academia and subsequently toward civil service, sitting the UPSC Civil Services examination after completing her graduation. She passed through to the interview round twice but ultimately did not clear the examination. It was only after these two major vocational rejections that Anjana turned to journalism, a path that, in retrospect, had been waiting for her all along.
Education
Anjana Om Kashyap completed her schooling at Loreto Convent School in Ranchi. She then enrolled at Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi, where she studied Botany (Honours) and completed her graduation. She subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Delhi School of Social Work. After her unsuccessful UPSC attempts, she completed a Diploma in Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, the qualification that formally launched her media career. Her academic journey thus spans natural sciences, social work, and journalism: an unusual combination that may help explain the breadth of concerns she brings to her reporting.
Career
Doordarshan (2003)
Anjana Om Kashyap began her journalism career in 2003 with Doordarshan, India’s national public broadcaster, where she worked on the programme Ankhon Dekhi. She resigned from Doordarshan in the same year, having secured a position at a private news channel that offered her a more dynamic environment for the kind of journalism she wanted to practise.
Zee News (2003–2007)
She joined Zee News as a desk-based journalist and worked there for approximately four to five years, steadily developing her anchoring skills and understanding of the 24-hour news format. Her desk work at Zee gave her the editorial foundation she would need for the on-camera career that followed.
News 24 (2007–2012)
In 2007, Anjana moved to News 24, where she emerged as a prominent on-screen anchor. Her prime-time debate show Do Tuk on News 24 developed a strong following, establishing her as an anchor capable of managing adversarial political discussions with authority and vigour. The show’s success made her a credible name in the competitive landscape of Hindi news television and prepared her for the larger platform that Aaj Tak would provide. She also worked briefly with Star News during this period.
Aaj Tak (2012–Present)
Anjana joined Aaj Tak in 2012 and has remained with the India Today Group’s flagship news channel ever since, rising to the position of Senior Executive Editor. Her flagship show Halla Bol — a prime-time political debate programme, became one of the most-watched and most talked-about news programmes in India. The show’s format, centred on Anjana’s direct, high-energy, often combative moderation of debates between political representatives, proved enormously appealing to viewers and set a template for the genre of prime-time Hindi news debate that dominates the medium today.
She is also the anchor and host of Dilli Ke Dil Mein Kya Hai, a ground-reporting programme that takes her into the streets and neighbourhoods of Delhi to engage directly with citizens on current issues. Her field reporting, including coverage from politically sensitive areas and during periods of communal tension, has been widely cited among her most impactful journalistic contributions.
In addition to her journalism, Anjana Om Kashyap has made cameo appearances in Bollywood films, including Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), both playing herself as a news anchor, appearances that speak to her visibility as a recognised public figure beyond the news media.
Social Work
Alongside her journalism career, Anjana Om Kashyap has been associated with NGO work, including initiatives related to resettlement colonies and the support of child rape victims. She has used her platform to draw attention to social issues including child welfare, women’s safety, and the conditions of marginalised urban communities.
Awards and Nominations
- 2014, ITA Award, Best Anchor, Won
- 2015, ENBA Awards, Best Anchor, Won
- 2015, IMWA Awards, Best Anchor, Won
- India Today Chairman’s Excellence Award, Won
- Excellence in Journalism Award, Ph.D. Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Won
Social Media
- Twitter/X: @anjanaomkashyap, one of the most followed Indian journalists on the platform
- Instagram: @anjanaomkashyap, active account
- Facebook: Anjana Om Kashyap Official Page
Personal Life
Anjana Om Kashyap is married to Mangesh Kashyap, an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer who has served in senior administrative positions, including as CVO of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, according to verified sources. She met Mangesh during her college years and the couple have been together since. They have two children, a son and a daughter.
Her professional profile has not been without controversy. She has been criticised by political commentators and media observers for what they describe as a pro-government slant in her coverage, particularly in relation to the reporting styles that became characteristic of much of Indian prime-time television news in the late 2010s and 2020s. In one widely circulated incident, she appeared to accidentally suffix “Modi” to her own name during the opening of Halla Bol, a moment that went viral on social media. She has consistently defended her journalistic approach as impartial and independent.
Net Worth
Anjana Om Kashyap’s estimated net worth is approximately Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore, based on estimates from multiple entertainment and media industry sources. Her primary income derives from her salary as Senior Executive Editor at Aaj Tak and the India Today Group, supplemented by brand endorsement fees, speaking engagements, and her Bollywood cameo appearances. She is among the highest-compensated news anchors in the Hindi television media industry.
Conclusion
Anjana Om Kashyap’s career is a study in redirection and reinvention. She did not set out to be a journalist, she wanted to be a doctor, then an IAS officer, and journalism claimed her only after both those doors had closed. What emerged from that process was one of Indian television’s most distinctive voices: direct, aggressive, emotionally committed, and impossible to ignore. Whether her critics or her defenders have the better of the argument about her style and editorial choices, no one disputes that she changed what prime-time Hindi news could look and sound like. That is her legacy, and it is substantial.