Rajan Datar was born in southwest London, England. Details about his exact date of birth and parents are not widely published, though he is of British Asian heritage.

He was educated at Hampton Grammar School before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford, followed by a Master’s degree in Political Sociology at the London School of Economics.

Datar began his career at the BBC as a trainee journalist and later trained in television production and directing. He became one of the early British Asian presenters on UK television and gained recognition hosting Rough Guide to the World on BBC Two in the early 1990s.

He went on to present major BBC programmes including The Money Programme, Newsnight, and long-running radio shows such as Over to You on the BBC World Service. He is widely known as a lead presenter of The Travel Show on BBC News (international channel), where he has filmed dozens of travel documentaries worldwide.

Datar is based in London and has two adult daughters. Alongside broadcasting, he is also a musician and co-founder of a ska band, balancing media work with creative pursuits.