Fareed Zakaria was born in India in a Muslim family on 20th January, 1964.His father Rafiq Zakaria was a minister and a deputy leader of the Congress party. His mother Fatima Zakaria, was the Sunday editor of the Times of India. Zakaria was a student at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai.After this he went to Yale university and later completed his Ph.D in political science from Harvard University.

An eminent journalist, columnist, author, editor , commentator and television host specializing in international relations and foreign affairs he began his career by writing for The New York Times, The Wall Street journal, The New Yorker, The New Republic. Zakaria was also the managing editor of Foreign Affairs, a journal of international politics and economics.

In 2000, he was named the editor of Newsweek International, which is published fortnightly in Washington Post. In 2003, his book, The future of Freedom:Illiberal Democracy at home and abroad was published. He is also the author of the book From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America`s World Role and co-editor of the American Encounter.

In 2005, Zakaria started hosting a new foreign affairs programme on Pbs which was titled Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria.

At present, he resides in New York city with his wife Paula Throckmorton Zakaria, son Omar, and daughter Lila.