Closely associated with the Congress party, Shobhana served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament from 2006 to 2012.

[7] She is a graduate of Calcutta University,[8] and is married to Shyam Sunder Bhartia,[9] Chairman of the ₹1400 crore pharmaceutical firm Jubilant LifeScience Limited (a spinoff from the earlier chemicals venture Vam Organics).

Their son Shamit Bhartia is also a Director at the HT Media group,[8] and also looks after lifestyle businesses such as the Domino's Pizza franchise and also convenience store chain Monday to Sunday in Bangalore.

[13] She has received the Delhi Women of the Decade Achievers Award 2013 from the ASSOCHAM Ladies League in recognition for her Excellence in Nation Building through Media & Leadership.

The following year, in February 2006, Shobhana was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, on a recommendation by the ruling United Progressive Alliance headed by Sonia Gandhi.

[15] The nomination, reserved for eminent people from the fields of literature, science, art and social service, was challenged in the Supreme Court of India[16] on the grounds that she was a "media baron" and not a journalist, and that she was politically affiliated with the Indian National Congress.