Sanjaya Baru Biography 
Sanjaya Baru is a journalist, writer, political commentator and policy analyst, who authored a memoir - The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh (2014), which alleges that Singh was not entirely in control of his cabinet or PMO; instead significant power was wielded by Sonia Gandhi, party president. He also claimed that he wrote only 50% of what he knows. Baru served as PM Manmohan Singh's media advisor and official spokesperson during the period, 2004-2008. He currently serves as Director for Geo-Economics and Strategy at the International Institute of Strategic Studies. He has been associated with many Indian newspapers as a journalist, writer and editor.
One of India’s most respected and influential commentators on political and economic issues, he served as a consulting senior fellow of the IISS since 2008. In 2011 he became the first director of the institute’s Geo-economics and Strategy programme. Currently he is focused on matters related to India. He earlier served as the editor of financial newspapers - The Business Standard and The Financial Express, and associate editor of The Economic Times and The Times of India.
He earlier served as Professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations in New Delhi before he became a Member of India's National Security Advisory Board in PM’s Office. Apart from the memoir on former PM, he has published two books - Strategic Consequences of India’s Economic Performance: Essays and Columns (2007) and Political Economy of Indian Sugar (1990).
He wrote memoirs of Manmohan Singh’s first term as PM. Yet PMO has said that he misused his position and wrote the book for commercial gain. He revealed a lot of confidential conversations that he had with the PM and ministers through the work. Yet the author claims that 90% of his writing is flattering to Dr Singh and he wrote the book because Singh is not getting credit for all that he has done.
Published: N/A
Updated: June 19, 2016
