Sir Mark Tully, BBC’s ‘Voice of India’, Dies at 90

Sir William Mark Tully, one of the most respected voices in international journalism and widely known as the BBC’s “voice of India,” died on Sunday at the age of 90.

He passed away at Max Hospital in Saket, New Delhi, where he had been admitted for treatment after a period of illness.

Born in Tollygunge, Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 24 October 1935, Tully grew up in India before completing his education in the United Kingdom.

He began his career with the British Broadcasting Corporation in the mid-1960s and quickly became one of its most influential correspondents. For more than two decades, he served as the BBC’s Bureau Chief in New Delhi, reporting on major political, social, and cultural developments across India and South Asia.

Tully was best known for his calm, thoughtful reporting and his distinctive voice on BBC World Service and other programmes. His broadcasts offered clarity and insight during some of the region’s most turbulent periods, including the Indo-Pakistan wars, the Bangladeshi Liberation War, India’s Emergency period, the Bhopal gas tragedy, Operation Blue Star, and the fractious developments around Ayodhya.

Beyond journalism, Sir Mark Tully was also an accomplished author. His writings on Indian life, politics, and society both in non-fiction and fiction, earned him wide acclaim. Among his celebrated works were No Full Stops in India, India in Slow Motion, and The Heart of India. He also presented the BBC Radio 4 programme Something Understood.

Tully’s contributions to international understanding and journalism were recognised by numerous honours. He was knighted by the United Kingdom in 2002 for services to broadcasting, and the Government of India awarded him two of its highest civilian honours: the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005. In Bangladesh, he was named a Foreign Friend of Bangladesh for his reporting on the 1971 liberation struggle.

Colleagues and listeners around the world mourned his passing, remembering him as a bridge between cultures and a voice of integrity in international reporting. Sir Mark Tully’s legacy endures in the countless stories he told and the deep connection he fostered between South Asia and global audiences.

Sources: Gulf News, The Telegraph, UNI India, The New Indian Express, ABP Live, The Economic Times