Seema Chishti is a prominent Indian journalist and author based in Delhi, with an extensive career spanning over three decades in print, radio, and television. Educated at St. Stephen’s College and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she earned a master’s degree in economics, Chishti has become a significant voice in discussions on Indian politics, society, and culture.
Her journalistic journey began in 1990 with HTV. She later joined the BBC World Service, working in London before serving as Editor for BBC Hindi in Delhi until 2006. That year, she moved to The Indian Express, where she held several senior positions, including Deputy Editor and Resident Editor in Delhi, over a fourteen-year tenure. During this time, she covered a wide range of critical subjects, including the marginalisation of minority communities, electoral politics, the Indian judicial system, state surveillance, and major political events, such as the anti-corruption movement. Since 2023, she has served as an Editor at the digital news portal The Wire, where she continues her work focused on accountability and socio-political analysis.
Beyond her reporting, Chishti is an accomplished author. In 2018, she co-authored Note by Note: The India Story (1947-2017), a unique book that chronicles India’s post-independence history by paralleling it with the Hindi film music of each year. Her 2022 book, Sumitra and Anees: Tales and Recipes from a Khichdi Family, is a deeply personal work. It explores her own mixed-faith family background through stories and recipes, celebrating the themes of coexistence and secularism that are central to her perspective.
Chishti’s worldview is heavily influenced by her upbringing in what she calls a “khichdi” family. Her father, Anees Chishti, was a Muslim journalist from Uttar Pradesh, and her mother, Sumitra Chishti, was a Hindu economist and professor from Karnataka. This interfaith heritage forms the foundation of her personal narrative and journalistic ethos.
She was married to Sitaram Yechury, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who passed away in September 2024. Yechury had three children from a previous marriage. While specific awards are not prominently documented, Seema Chishti is widely regarded as one of India’s most eminent journalists, respected for her insightful analysis, integrity, and unwavering commitment to democratic principles.