[3][2] A native of Mysore, India, Markandaya was a graduate of Madras University, and afterwards published several short stories in Indian newspapers.

After India declared its independence, Markandaya moved to Britain, though she still labelled herself an Indian expatriate long afterwards.

[4][5] She was well-known for writing about culture clash between Indian urban and rural societies, Markandaya's first published novel, Nectar in a Sieve (1954), was a bestseller and cited as an American Library Association Notable Book in 1955.

Her other novels include Some Inner Fury (1955), A Silence of Desire (1960), Possession (1963), A Handful of Rice (1966), The Coffer Dams (1969), The Nowhere Man (1972), Two Virgins (1973), The Golden Honeycomb (1977), and Pleasure City (1982).

Her last novel, Bombay Tiger, was published posthumously (2008) by her daughter Kim Oliver.