Born in Tollygunge, Calcutta (now Kolkata) on October 24, 1935, into a British business family, Tully spent his early years in India, including boarding school in Darjeeling, after which he moved to the UK at the age of nine. He studied theology at Cambridge and intended to become a clergyman, but later turned to journalism and joined the BBC in 1964. He returned to India as a BBC correspondent in 1965, and later served as New Delhi bureau chief for more than two decades (until 1994).

Several significant events occurred during his tenure: the India–Pakistan War, Operation Blue Star (1984), the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, the Bhopal gas tragedy (1984), the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi (1991), and the demolition of the Babri Masjid (1992). He left the BBC due to differences with the Director General of the BBC, but continued freelancing and contributing to the BBC until 2019.

Tully wrote several influential books: “Amritsar: Mrs. Gandhi’s Last Battle” (1985, with Satish Jacob), “No Full Stops in India” (1988), “India in Slow Motion” (2002, with Gillian Wright), “India’s Unending Journey” (2008), “India: The Road Ahead” (2011), and “The Heart of India.” (1995) and fiction books like “Upcountry Tales” (2017).

Honors he has received include an OBE (1985), a knighthood (KBE, 2002), and India’s Padma Bhushan (2005). He held an Overseas Citizenship of India card, which showed his deep connection with the country. His empathetic, in-depth reporting has made him one of India’s most loved foreign journalists.