Pooja Batra was born to Ravi Batra, an army colonel who was wounded in the 1971 war between India and Pakistan. Her mother, Neelam Batra was a former Miss India participant in 1971. She did her schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya Faridabad, Kendriya Vidyalaya ONGC Agartala at Tripura, Kendriya Vidyalaya (Army) Belgaum where she enjoyed sports, debates and plays. She was a good athlete who competed in the 200 and 400-meter dash. She graduated in Economics at the Fergusson College, Pune. She has two twin brothers. She was Miss Asia Pacific (3rd runners up) in 1993, and at that time she was 18 years old.

At a young age, she started modelling as a part-time job. She was best known for her Liril soap commercial. She was the first Indian face to launch and be a spokesperson for Head and Shoulders in India. As a model she has participated in over 250 events and ad campaigns. She shot to fame when she was crowned Miss India Asia-Pacific in 1993.[2] She went on to become one of the top models in India. She walked the ramp for over 250 fashion shows in India and overseas. She is an ambassador for Parag Sarees. She has played the lead role in over 20 films. One of her films, Taj Mahal, a historical epic, was shown at the Cannes film festival in 2004. Pooja turned down many offers to complete her education before signing a contract with the Virasat Film Studio. She is the lifetime member of International Film And Television Club of Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida. In 1995 she did a cameo in a Tamil film called Aasai.

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