Who is economist Parakala Prabhakar, husband of India’s FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Parakala Prabhakar is a veteran Indian politician, political economist, and social commentator who recently criticized the BJP government.
Prabhakar is known for his extensive involvement in Indian politics and best known as the husband of India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman.
Parakala Prabhakar, husband of FM Nirmala Sitharaman: Biography, age, wife, daughter and education
Parakala has held key roles in several political parties and advisory positions in government over the years and given all sorts of deep insights on economic policy and political strategy.
Parakala Prabhakar criticizes BJP government
INDIA Alliance would have won 316 Seats in Loksabha Elections if there was no rigging.
– Parakala Prabhakar (H/O Nirmala Sitharaman)📍 pic.twitter.com/uQNEZrddZs
— Dr. Girija Shetkar (@GirijaShetkar) August 17, 2025
Parakala Prabhakar recently criticized the BJP government publicly regarding the electoral bond scheme and called it the “biggest scam in the world.” He gave various remarks questioning the legality and transparency of the scheme and also addressed broader concerns about accountability in Indian politics. He also openly challenged the government’s handling of election-related issues, centralization of power, and recent vote discrepancies. His comments have seemingly sparked more interest and debate across social media and news platforms as the husband of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Parakala Prabhakar biography
Parakala Prabhakar was born on January 2, 1959, in Narsapuram, Andhra Pradesh, into a politically active Brahmin family in Andhra Pradesh. Over the years, he has built a multifaceted career spanning political engagement, academic pursuits, and social work. Parakala’s parents were both legislators in the state, and he got an early exposure to the political world. Prabhakar gained notable prominence as the president of Jawaharlal Nehru University’s student union and later as the All India Vice President of NSUI, the Congress party’s student wing. Over the years, Parakala has transitioned through various political affiliations, contributing to economic policy formation and serving in significant advisory roles.
Age and height
As of 2025, Parakala Prabhakar is 66 years old. He stands approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall.
MASSIVE STATEMENT 🚨
By Parakala Prabhakar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's husband
👉🏽“If there had been No Rigging in the Lok Sabha elections,
All India Alliance would have won 316 seats….” pic.twitter.com/iCKU5niVsZ— Harmeet Kaur K (@iamharmeetK) August 16, 2025
Education
Parakala Prabhakar completed his primary education at Lakshminarasamamba Municipal School in Narsapuram and completed his high schooling at Peoples’ High School, Hyderabad. He then completed his senior secondary education at Nampally Junior College and Sri YN College, Narasapuram. Following his graduation, he later earned his M.A. and M.Phil. degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Parakala later obtained a scholarship and completed his Ph.D. at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he specialized in International Relations, where he wrote a thesis on “Security Doctrines and Foreign Policy Behavior.”
Political career
Parakala Prabhakar started out his political career with the Indian National Congress and contested in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections in 1994. After narrowly losing out in a Lok Sabha by-election in 1996, he left Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1997. During his time with BJP, he contested multiple elections and even served as the party spokesperson for Andhra Pradesh.
He played key roles in the national economic policy and the Planning Commission’s tenth Five-Year Plan. Back in 2006, he resigned from BJP and supported the formation of the Prajarajyam Party in 2008. Later, he assumed the role of Communications Advisor to the Andhra Pradesh government in 2014, up until his resignation in 2018.
Wife and children
Parakala Prabhakar is married to Nirmala Sitharaman, who is India’s current Finance Minister, and they have a daughter named Vangmayi who got married in 2023.
Vangmayi Parakala holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Delhi.
