Neha was born in the Punjabi-speaking Dhupia family in Cochin, India, on August 27, 1980, and as is customary with most Punjabi and Sikh families - she was nicknamed 'Chotu'. Her dad is an Officer in the Indian Navy, Pradip Singh Dhupia; her mom, Manpinder, is a homemaker, and she has a brother, Hardeep, who works with Jet Airways.
As a child she completed her schooling in Vizag, then in Naval Public School, and eventually graduated in History from Jesus and Mary College in Delhi.