India energetic, growing rapidly: BBC presenter plans to move back from UK

Indian-born BBC presenter and journalist Amol Rajan has expressed concerns about the future of England while describing India as "extraordinarily exciting and energetic in a way that Britain doesn't always feel", and expressed an interest in eventually returning to the country of his birth. Rajan, a popular presenter, said he wanted to bring up his children in India.

Speaking on broadcaster, writer and former politician Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, Rajan, a 42-year-old presenter, admitted he is "very worried" about his adopted country and questioned whether it remains a place where "history is being made."

"I can't tell you how much I love my country, by which I mean England, but I'm very worried about it," Rajan stated. "I think we've got some big, big problems that need addressing, and one of the things is whether this is the best place for my four kids to grow up. My answer is that it is. But I would say specifically that I'm not sure where it's still a place where history is being made."

He contrasted Britain's current atmosphere with the dynamism he sees in India, noting that the country adds around one million people to its workforce every month, which he described as a clear sign of a young and fast-moving nation.

Rajan also pointed to the 1960s and 1970s as a time when England felt like a centre of cultural and historical momentum, driven by post-war renewal, baby-boom creativity, and relative peace. In comparison, he suggested that such energy and opportunity are now more visible in emerging economies like India.

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Born in the city of Kolkata (then Calcutta), the capital of West Bengal, in 1983, Rajan moved to England with his family at the age of three and grew up in south London.

He has since then built a prominent career in British media, serving as editor of The Independent at age 29, making him the youngest editor of a national broadsheet in the UK at the time, as well as the first non-white editor of a British national newspaper in over a century.

He then went on to join the BBC in 2016 as its first media editor. He has presented Radio 4's Today programme and continues to host the long-running BBC quiz show University Challenge and his own podcast Radical.

Amol Rajan married academic Charlotte Faircloth in 2013, and the couple have four children, the youngest being two years old.

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While voicing these reflections, Rajan emphasised his affection for England, calling it a "wonderful" and "peaceful" country with relatively low crime. He clarified that he is not planning an immediate move but hopes to take his children to India more frequently once his youngest child is old enough to endure long-haul flights.

The presenter also suggested he would like to raise his family in an area that exhibited more recent prosperity and innovation.

"I'd like my children to experience India and then make up their own mind," Amol Rajan said. "I want it to be their decision." He added that he wants them to connect with the civilisation "that's in their blood."

The comments come as Rajan prepares to step down from presenting Today later in 2026 to launch his own production company in what he described as the "creator economy," according to a report by The Independent.

He has said he remains committed to the BBC, describing it as "Britain's noblest cultural institution," and will continue hosting University Challenge and other projects. In earlier statements reported by The Independent, he spoke of "unleashing my inner entrepreneur," drawing inspiration from his childhood hero Del Boy. For context, Del Boy is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses known for his cheerful and optimistic demeanour.

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