Saba Naqvi is a distinguished Indian journalist, author, and political commentator known for her extensive reporting on national politics and India’s social fabric. With a career spanning over two decades, she has established herself as a key voice in analysing the country’s political landscape, particularly the evolution of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the dynamics of India’s pluralistic society.
Naqvi’s career is anchored by her long tenure as the Political Editor of Outlook magazine, where she became one of India’s most recognised political reporters. After leaving Outlook, she transitioned into a role as an independent journalist, contributing columns to a wide range of leading publications. She is a familiar face on television and digital platforms, offering sharp analysis during election cycles and political debates.
Beyond her media work, Naqvi contributes to academia as an Adjunct Faculty member at the Jindal School of Journalism & Communication, O.P. Jindal Global University. Her work has been recognised internationally through several prestigious fellowships, including the Reuters Fellowship at the University of Oxford, the Jefferson Fellowship at the East-West Centre in Hawai’i, and the Asia Leadership Fellowship in Japan, underscoring the global relevance of her reporting.
Naqvi’s journalism is defined by two primary interests: the ideological and political journey of the BJP, and the exploration of India’s syncretic, multi-faith traditions. These themes are deeply explored in her published books. Her first book, In Good Faith: A Journey in Search of an Unknown India (2012), is a work of reportage that documents shared sacred spaces, shrines, and syncretic practices across the country, highlighting a lived reality of pluralism often overlooked in mainstream political discourse.
She has authored a definitive body of work on the BJP. Shades of Saffron: From Vajpayee to Modi (2018) provides a comprehensive history of the party’s rise from its formation in 1980 through its two periods in power. This was followed by an updated and expanded edition, The Saffron Storm: From Vajpayee to Modi (2024), which offers a more current analysis of the party’s consolidation of power.
Her other books tackle specific political moments and phenomena. Capital Conquest (2015) offers an insider’s account of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) stunning victory in Delhi, while Politics of Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook (2019)examines the history and mechanics of coalition governments in India, published just before the 2019 general election.
Coming from a prominent family of journalists—her father is veteran correspondent Saeed Naqvi and her sister is writer-activist Farah Naqvi—Saba Naqvi has a significant public profile. Based in New Delhi, she is a vocal advocate for press freedom and media ethics.