 Aiyar has obtained a B.A in philosophy from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, an M.A in modern history from St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and an M.Sc in global media and communications from the London School of Economics.In 1999, she became a journalist for "Star News" and eventually became the China bureau chief of "The Hindu" in 2006.In 2007, she was awarded the Prem Bhatia Memorial Prize for Excellence in Reporting.