Rajat Sharma (born 18 February 1957) is an Indian journalist and businessperson who is the chairman and Editor-in-chief of India TV, an Indian news outlet.[1][2] Sharma is known for his show Aap Ki Adalat in which he is seen interviewing politicians and celebrities in a courtroom-like setting.
After having completed his master's degree in commerce, he was hired as a researcher by Janardan Thakur, a journalist who had just quit Anandabazar Patrika to start a new syndicate column. Subsequently, he joined the Onlooker Magazine as a trainee and then went on to become its editor in 1985. By this time, Rajat Sharma had shifted base to Mumbai. After having spent three years at Onlooker, he joined Sunday Observer as an editor and later on The Daily again as the editor.
It was in 1992 that he bumped into Zee TV’s Subhash Chandra during a flight to Delhi and it was in the midst of a casual conversation that the concept of Aap Ki Adalat took shape. In 1993, the first episode of Aap Ki Adalat was shot for Zee TV with Lalu Yadav, the former-Chief Minister of Bihar. Rajat Sharma has interviewed more than 750 guests on his show and recently Aap Ki Adalat celebrated 21 years of broadcast thereby making it the longest running show in India’s television history.[4] He also hosts the prime time show Aaj Ki Baat on India TV.
Sharma is said to be very close to the ruling BJP and the late Arun Jaitley, a BJP politician.[5]
In 2014, India TV's former anchor Tanu Sharma filed FIR against two India TV executives alleging that she faced harassment in the workplace leading her to attempt suicide.[6][7] On 2 July 2014, Rajat Sharma and Ritu Dhiman threatened to pursue legal action against her.[8]
A RTI filed by the Indian express revealed that Sharma was not on the government's list of nominees but received the Padma Bhushan award at the recommendation of Arun Jaitley. [9]
He was President of Delhi Cricket Association.[10] He, however resigned only one month into his job citing corruption and various "pulls and pressures".[11]