The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s apex banking institution. Since the establishment of the British colonial government in 1935, many people have held the post of Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Recently, Shaktikanta Das was appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for a term of three years.
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The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India is the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Bank of India and the ex-officio Chairman of the Central Board of Directors. Indian currency notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) bear the signature of the RBI Governor. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India is appointed by the Government of India for a three-year term and is eligible for re-election.
You are watching: List of Governors of Reserve Bank of India (1935-2024)
The first Governor of the Reserve Bank of India was Sir Osborne Smith and CD Deshmukh was the first Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
Also Read | List of Government Banks or Public Sector Banks in India
List of previous governors of the Reserve Bank of India (1935-2023)
Check the table below for complete details:
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No. |
governor |
Start of semester |
end of semester |
term length |
notes |
1 |
Sir Osborne Smith |
April 1, 1935 |
June 30, 1937 |
2 years and 90 days |
Smith was a British banker and the former Managing Director of the Imperial Bank of India. Resigned early. |
2 |
Sir James Brad Taylor |
July 1, 1937 |
February 17, 1943 |
5 years and 231 days |
ICS officer who oversaw wartime and the transition from silver currency to fiat currency. Died in office. |
3 |
Sir CD Deshmukh |
August 11, 1943 |
June 30, 1949 |
5 years and 323 days |
First Governor-General of India; administrative division and division of assets. |
4 |
Sir Benegal Rama Rao |
July 1, 1949 |
January 14, 1957 |
7 years and 197 days |
An ICS official who once served as India’s ambassador to the United States resigned before his term expired. |
5 |
KG Ambergonkar |
January 14, 1957 |
February 28, 1957 |
45 days |
Interim Governor after Rama Rao; former Finance Minister. |
6 |
HVR Inge |
March 1, 1957 |
February 28, 1962 |
4 years and 364 days |
Oversaw the transition to decimal coinage; former Chairman, State Bank of India. |
7 |
PC Bhattacharya |
March 1, 1962 |
June 30, 1967 |
5 years and 121 days |
Former Chairman, State Bank of India. |
8 |
Lakshmi Kant Jha |
July 1, 1967 |
May 3, 1970 |
2 years and 306 days |
Former Secretary to the Prime Minister; later became India’s Ambassador to the United States |
9 |
BN Adaka |
May 4, 1970 |
June 15, 1970 |
42 days |
Interim governor; former government economic adviser. |
10 |
Sarukai Jagannathan |
June 16, 1970 |
May 19, 1975 |
4 years and 337 days |
Former Executive Director of the World Bank; later represented India at the International Monetary Fund. |
11 |
NC Sen Gupta |
May 19, 1975 |
August 19, 1975 |
92 days |
Interim Governor; previously served in the Treasury Department’s Banking Division. |
12 |
Puri |
August 20, 1975 |
May 2, 1977 |
1 year 255 days |
Oversaw the formation of regional rural banks; Past Chairman, LIC. |
13 |
M Narasimham |
May 3, 1977 |
November 30, 1977 |
211 days |
Former Research Officer, Reserve Bank of India; worked in the Ministry of Economic Affairs. |
14 |
IG Patel |
December 1, 1977 |
September 15, 1982 |
4 years and 288 days |
Overseeing the demonetization of high value banknotes. |
15 |
Manmohan Singh |
September 16, 1982 |
January 14, 1985 |
2 years and 120 days |
Introduced legal banking reforms; later became Prime Minister of India. |
16 |
Amitav Ghosh |
January 15, 1985 |
February 4, 1985 |
20 days |
RN Malhotra was appointed interim governor before. |
No. 17 |
RN Malhotra |
February 4, 1985 |
December 22, 1990 |
5 years and 321 days |
Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Studies inaugurated. |
18 |
S.Venkitaramanan |
December 22, 1990 |
December 21, 1992 |
365 days in 1 year |
Managing the IMF stabilization program in India during the economic crisis. |
19 |
See more : Optical Illusion Brain Challenge: If you have Eagle Eyes Find the word Jog in 15 Secs C Rangarajan |
December 22, 1992 |
November 21, 1997 |
4 years and 334 days |
Establishing a unified exchange rate; former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India. |
20 |
Bima Jalan |
November 22, 1997 |
September 6, 2003 |
5 years and 288 days |
Keep inflation and interest rates low. |
twenty one |
YV Reddy |
September 6, 2003 |
September 5, 2008 |
4 years and 365 days |
Contributed to financial sector reform; focused on external debt. |
twenty two |
D Subbarao |
September 5, 2008 |
September 4, 2013 |
4 years and 364 days |
Author of books on decentralization and public finance. |
twenty three |
Raghuram Rajan |
September 4, 2013 |
September 4, 2016 |
3 years |
Former chief economic adviser; emphasized financial reform. |
twenty four |
Urjit Patel |
September 4, 2016 |
December 10, 2018 |
2 years and 98 days |
Oversaw the demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes; resigned due to personal reasons. |
25 |
Shaktikanta Das |
December 12, 2018 |
December 11, 2024 |
5 years and 365 days |
Former Director of the Inland Revenue Department; former member of the 15th Finance Commission. |
26 |
Sanjay Malhotra |
December 11, 2024 |
Incumbent |
– |
Former Commissioner of Revenue and Commissioner of Financial Services. |
Source: Reserve Bank of India
Who is Sanjay Malhotra, the current governor of the Reserve Bank of India?
Sanjay Malhotra has been appointed as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with effect from December 11, 2024. This announcement was made by the Union Government of India on December 9, 2024, as part of a Cabinet Committee decision. Malhotra, currently serving as revenue minister in the finance ministry, will succeed Shaktikanta Das, whose six-year term ends on December 10, 2024.
Background and qualifications
Sanjay Malhotra is a 1990-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Distinguished Officer from Rajasthan cadre. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT) and a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University.
In a rich career spanning more than three decades, Malhotra has gained experience in various fields including finance, tax, power, information technology and mining. His previous roles include serving as Secretary of the Department of Financial Services and Chairman and Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
future responsibilities
Malhotra faces significant challenges as he takes on this crucial role. India’s economy is currently slowing down, with growth falling to a seven-quarter low of 5.4% between July and September.
Pressure is mounting on India’s central bank to consider cutting interest rates to stimulate economic activity. Under his predecessor Shaktikanta Das, the Reserve Bank of India kept interest rates steady for nearly two years amid concerns about inflation.
Malhotra’s appointment reflects a broader trend within the Indian government favoring experienced bureaucrats for key economic positions. His first task is to chair the Monetary Policy Committee meeting in February 2025, where key decisions on interest rates will be taken.
RBI Governor: Key Highlights
1- Sir Benegal Rama Rau is the longest serving RBI Governor
2- Amitav Ghosh is the shortest serving RBI Governor.
3- YV Reddy served as the Governor of India from 2003 to 2008. He is credited with helping stabilize India’s economy during the 2008 financial crisis.
4- CD Deshmukh was the first Governor of Reserve Bank of India.
What salary/benefits does the RBI Governor enjoy?
What are the main functions of Reserve Bank of India?
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion