Sh Upendrra Rai (born 16 January 1982) is an Indian journalist and writer. He is Chairman & Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Express News Network.  Earlier he was working as CEO and Editor-in-Chief at Sahara India Media. He has worked as CEO and Editor-in-Chief at Tehelka. Sahara News Network as its Group CEO and Editor-in-Chief, looking after the functioning of Sahara Samay Channel along with Samay UP/ Uttarakhand, Samay Bihar/Jharkhand, Samay MP/CG, Samay Rajasthan, Aalami Samay and Rashtriya Sahara Hindi Daily. He resigned from Sahara News Network recently in Oct 2022 and has started his own media house Bharat Express News Network . He has also founded ‘The Printlines Media Group’ in 2016 as its chairman and Editor-in Chief

Bharat Express is an emerging platform in the world of media with a distinct focus to create a win-win situation based on our core value system of Satya, Sahas & Samarpan which will remain as a guiding factor for the organization.  Bharat Express is committed to all the segments of its viewers to cater with breaking news, investigative journalism and news follow-ups, with the aims and objective of creating a niche for our Channel. We are also committed to work in the larger interest of ethical journalism with embedded Nation first theory.

Mr. Upendrra Rai also founded the www.northblocksouthblock.com  English website with the intention of creating news related to bureaucracy and other important executives’ posting and placements. And also envisages creating meritorious awards for the achievers in different categories. The said websites also publishes international news and world events from Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Sh Upendrra Rai was born in the village Sherpur, Ghazipur. He got his early education at village Sherpur & Inter College Mohammadabad in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh and completed his graduation from University of Lucknow. He moved to Mumbai to pursue his career as Chief of Bureau of Rashtriya Sahara. In Mumbai he got Master of Business Administration from SVKM’s NMIMS.

Sh Upendrra Rai started his career as a correspondent in the year 1997 with Sahara News Network while pursuing his graduation at University of Lucknow. In October 2002 he joined Star News (Now ABP News) then in August 2004 he joined Network 18 where he worked as the member of launching team of CNBC Awaaz/CNBC TV18. He later joined Star News again (renamed ABP News) in year October 2005 as Principal Correspondent, where he did path-breaking stories related to Taxation, Business, Politics and Entertainment. In November, 2009 he moved to Sahara News Network as Editor and News Director. However he left Sahara News Network in 2016 and started working as CEO and editor-in-chief of Tehelka. In September 2019 he came back to the fold of Sahara News Network again as Executive Director , CEO & Editor In Chief in Sept 2019 and now established Bharat News Network .

Sh Upendrra Rai did many big stories while working with Star News (ABP News) . He unearthed demat account scandal in October 2005. Likewise, he broke the story of stud farm owner Hasan Ali in January 2007, which resulted in government agencies actions on Ali.

AWARDS

• Star Achiever Award in 2006
• Star Patrakar Ratna Award in 2007
• Indian Television Academy Awardsfor best reporting among Hindi news channels, 2007 
• Lions Gold Awards by Lions Clubs International, Mumbai, 2008
• Lions Gold Awards by Lions Clubs International, Mumbai, 2009
• Bharosa Patrakar Samman with Javed Akhtar, 2010 
• National Integration Award, Hubli, Karnataka, December 2010
• National Excellence Award, World Book of Records, London, 2019
• Lions Club Entrepreneur Excellence Award , Delhi , Feb 2020
• Hindi Patrakarita Samman award, Patna , Sept 2021
• Urdu Sammaan award, Patna , March 2022
• Shabad Rishi Samman, Indore , April 2022
• Felicitated for committed and bold journalism in the British House of Lords, London in June 2022