Gitanjali Aiyar was a renowned news presenter, know her cause of death
Find out more about her and her death.
Gitanjali Aiyar, a well-known personality in India’s media sector, sadly passed away on Wednesday at the age of 71.
She was one of the nation’s first female newscasters for the public channel Doordarshan. Aiyar started Doordarshan in 1971, and since then, she has won four times for best anchor because of her extraordinary talent. She, unfortunately, passed away after coming home after a walk.
DD news reader Gitanjali Aiyar cause of death, biography, age, husband, daughter, career
Prominent Doordarshan News Anchor #GitanjaliAiyar passes away.
She was one of the first English news presenters in the country. Having joined DD in 1971, she won the award for best anchor four times.
She also presented popular shows related to taking English song requests – A… pic.twitter.com/us3Foobndb
— DD News (@DDNewslive) June 8, 2023
The news soon went viral and sparked immense grief among Indian media spectators. After hearing the news of her passing, several political and well-known media figures posted their condolences and tributes to the extraordinary journalist on Twitter.
Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, also joined others in paying their tributes by posting a message on Twitter expressing his profound regret. In his tweet, he wrote,
Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Gitanjali Aiyar, one of the first and finest English news anchors on Doordarshan and All India Radio. A trailblazer & pioneer, she brought credibility, professionalism, and a distinct voice to every news report, leaving an indelible mark in the journalism and broadcasting industries. My heartfelt condolences go out to her family and loved ones during this difficult time. Om Shanti
Since then, she has become the talk of the town, with many people trying to find out more about her. So, here’s what we know about her:
Who was Gitanjali Aiyar?
Gitanjali Aiyar was a well-known Indian journalist and anchor. She has been in the news because she passed away recently at the age of 71.
She was born in 1952 in Delhi. She did her schooling at Cathedral & John Connon School. Later, she attended Loreto College in Kolkata, where she did her graduation. Subsequently, she joined the National School of Drama (NSD), where she earned a diploma in acting.
Gitanjali Aiyer was married to Swaminathan S. Anklesaria, a renowned Indian journalist and economist. However, they later separated. Gitanjali is the mother of two children named Pallavi Aiyer and Shekhar Aiyer. While Pallavi was a journalist, Shekhar worked for the IMF in the US.
She passed away on 7 June 2023 in Delhi. At the time of her death, she was 72 years old.
Her career
In 1971, Gitanjali Aiyar began working for Doordarshan as an English news anchor. For more than ten years, she regularly broadcast news during prime time. She was the host of the well-liked program “A Date With You” on All India Radio. Despite the separation of All India Radio and Doordarshan in 1978, she chose to remain with Doordarshan until 2002.
Aside from her broadcasting career, Aiyar held significant positions at renowned organizations. From 1982 to 1983, she managed sales and public relations at Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces in Delhi.
In the Damlia Group and Corporate Voice Shandwick PR, Gitanjali Aiyer also held the position of vice president of corporate communications and public relations. She served as the British High Commission’s deputy head of press and public affairs in New Delhi from 1998 to 2001.
After leaving Doordarshan, Aiyar ventured into corporate communications, government liaison, and marketing. She was appointed vice president of public affairs at the Yash Birla Group before serving from 2005 to 2007 as director of the international sales division at the Oberoi Group in New Delhi.
From 2007 to 2010, Gitanjali Aiyar served as a consultant for the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), after which she joined the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2011 as the director of its Big Donors Center. Her love of the theater inspired her to take the stage in a number of plays and television shows, including “Khandaan” in 1985.
Cause of death of Gitanjali Aiyar
She had been struggling with Parkinson’s disease.