List of Governors of Reserve Bank of India (1935-2024)

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.

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.

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

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?