Born in New Delhi, Gandhi spent his early years between Delhi and Dehradun, remaining largely outside the public sphere during his childhood and early youth. He received primary education in New Delhi and then attended The Doon School. However, due to security concerns, he was later home-schooled. Gandhi commenced his undergraduate degree at St. Stephen's College before moving to Harvard University. Following his father’s assassination and subsequent security concerns, he moved to Rollins College in Florida, completing his degree in 1994. After earning a M.Phil. from Cambridge, Gandhi initiated his professional career with the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm in London. Soon thereafter, he returned to India and founded Backops Services Private Ltd, a technology outsourcing firm based in Mumbai.

Gandhi led the Congress party during the 2014 and 2019 general elections, where the party experienced significant defeats, securing only 44 and 52 seats, respectively. Ahead of the 2024 Indian general elections, Gandhi spearheaded the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, contributing to the INC winning 99 seats and regaining the status of Official Opposition for the first time in a decade. Gandhi won the Rae Bareli in the 2024 elections and was nominated to serve as Leader of the Opposition. In Parliament, Gandhi has served as a member of several parliamentary committees including Home Affairs, Human Resource Development, External Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs and Defence.

Early life and background