List of governors of the Reserve Bank of India
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Governor
| body = the Reserve Bank of India
| insignia = Seal of the Reserve Bank of India.svg
| insigniacaption = Seal of the Reserve Bank of India
| incumbent = Sanjay Malhotra
| image = Sanjay Malhotra RBI.jpg
| incumbentsince = 11 December 2024
| termlength = 3 years (extendable)
| appointer = Government of the Republic of India
| salary ={{INR convert|250000}}
| formation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1935|04|01}}
| inaugural = Sir Osborne Smith
| website = {{URL|https://rbi.org.in/}}
| constituting_instrument = Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
| type = Chief Executive Officer
| status= Chief Executive Officer of Reserve Bank of India
| deputy = Deputy Governor
| native_name = भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक के गवर्नर
}}
The governor of the Reserve Bank of India is the chief executive officer of India's central bank and the ex-officio chair of its Central Board of Directors. The Governor of RBI by convention to be considered as equivalent to Minister of State(MoS). Indian Rupee currency notes, issued by the Reserve Bank of India, bear the governor's signature. Since its establishment in 1935 by the government of the Republic of India, the RBI has been headed by twenty-six{{Nbsp}}governors. The governor of the Reserve Bank of India is a member of the Strategic Policy Group headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. It is a crucial wing of the National Security Council.{{Clarify|date=November 2020}}
The inaugural officeholder was the British banker Sir Osborne Smith, while Sir C. D. Deshmukh was the first native Indian governor. Holding office for over seven years, Sir Benegal Rama Rau was the longest-serving governor, while Amitav Ghosh's 20-day term is the shortest. The bank's fifteenth{{Nbsp}}governor, Manmohan Singh, later became India's thirteenth prime minister. Sanjay Malhotra is the twenty-sixth governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 11 December 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-10 |title=New RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra Biography, Education Qualification and Career Details |url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/sanjay-malhotra-biography-1733809668-1 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Jagranjosh.com |language=en}}
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List of governors
File:CD Deshmukh crop.jpg was the first Indian to serve as the governor.|upright=0.75]]
File:Sir Benegal Rama Rau, governor of Reserve Bank of India.jpg was the longest serving governor.|upright=0.75]]
File:I. G. Patel.jpg, the fourteenth governor|upright=0.75]]
File:Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in WEF ,2009.jpg, the fifteenth governor, later served as the thirteenth prime minister of India|upright=0.75]]
File:Raghuram Rajan, IMF 69MS040421048l.jpg, the twenty-third governor|upright=0.75]]
File:Shaktikanta DAS IAS RBI.jpg, the twenty-fifth governor|upright=0.75]]
File:Sanjay Malhotra RBI.jpg, the twenty-sixth and the incumbent governor|upright=0.75]]
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" border="1" style="text-align:center";
|+ {{Sronly|List of governors of the Reserve Bank of India}} ! data-sort-type="number" scope="col" | {{Abbr|No.|Number}} ! scope="col" width=135px | Governor ! data-sort-type="date" scope="col" class="unsortable" width=135px | Term ! scope="col" width=90px| Length of tenure ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes{{Cite web |title=Governors |url=https://rbi.org.in/scripts/governors.aspx |access-date=June 19, 2022 |publisher=Reserve Bank of India}} ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | References |
| 1
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | Sir {{Sortname|Osborne|Smith}} |1 April 1935 |{{ayd|1935|4|1|1937|6|30}} |Smith was a British banker who served as the managing governor of the Imperial Bank of India prior to becoming the governor. He resigned the governorship before the completion of the term. |
| 2
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | Sir {{Sortname|James Braid|Taylor}} |1 July 1937 |{{ayd|1937|7|1|1943|2|17}} |Taylor was an Indian Civil Services officer who served as the controller of the currency and the deputy governor pf RBI prior to becoming the governor. He died while in office. |
| 3
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | Sir {{Sortname|C. D.|Deshmukh}} |11 August 1943 |{{ayd|1943|8|11|1949|6|30}} |Deshmukh was an Indian Civil Services officer who served as the deputy governor of RBI prior to becoming the governor. He was the first Indian to serve as the governor. His governorship oversaw the partition of India as the subsequent division of assets and liabilities between India and Pakistan. | |
| 4
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | Sir {{Sortname|Benegal Rama|Rau}} |1 July 1949 |{{ayd|1949|7|1|1957|1|14}} |Rau was an Indian Civil Services officer who served as the Indian ambassador to the United States prior to becoming the governor. He resigned the governorship before the completion of his second extended term. | |
| 5
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|K. G.|Ambegaonkar}} |14 January 1957 |{{ayd|1957|01|14|1957|02|28|df=y}} |Ambegaokar was an Indian Civil Services officer who served as the Finance Secretary prior to becoming the deputy governor of RBI. He was appointed as the interim governor upon the resignation of Benegal Rama Rau. | |
| 6
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|H. V. R.|Iyengar}} |1 March 1957 |{{ayd|1957|3|1|1962|2|28}} |Iyengar was an Indian Civil Services officer who served as the chairman of the State Bank of India prior to becoming the governor. Indian coinage was shifted from earlier systems to decimal coinage during his governorship. | |
| 7
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|P. C.|Bhattacharya}} |1 March 1962 |{{ayd|1962|3|1|1967|6|30}} |Bhattacharya was an Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer who served as the chairman of the State Bank of India prior to becoming the governor. | |
| 8
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Lakshmi Kant|Jha}} |1 July 1967 |{{ayd|1967|7|1|1970|5|3}} |Jha was an Indian Civil Services officer who served as the secretary to the prime minister prior to becoming the governor. He left the office upon his appointment as the Indian ambassador to the United States. | |
| 9
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|B. N.|Adarkar}} |4 May 1970 |{{ayd|1970|5|4|1970|6|15}} |Adarkar was an economist who served as the economic advisor to the government prior to becoming the deputy governor of RBI. He was appointed as the interim governor. | |
| 10
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Sarukkai|Jagannathan}} |16 June 1970 |{{ayd|1970|6|16|1975|5|19}} |Jagannathan was an Indian Civil Services officer who served as India's executive director of the World Bank prior to becoming the governor. He resigned the office to become the India's executive director of the International Monetary Fund. | |
| 11
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|N. C. Sen|Gupta}} |19 May 1975 |{{ayd|1975|5|19|1975|8|19}} |Gupta served as the secretary to the Department of Banking, Ministry of Finance prior to becoming the interim governor. | |
| 12
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|K. R.|Puri}} |20 August 1975 |{{ayd|1975|8|20|1977|5|2}} |Puri served as the chairman of the Life Insurance Corporation prior to becoming the governor. His governorship oversaw the formation of various regional rural banks. | |
| 13
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|M.|Narasimham}} |3 May 1977 |{{ayd|1977|5|3|1977|11|30}} |Narasimham was a RBI research officer who served as an additional Secretary to the Department of Economic Affairs prior to becoming the governor. | |
| 14
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|I. G.|Patel}} |1 December 1977 |{{ayd|1977|12|1|1982|9|15}} |Patel was an economist who served as a secretary in the Ministry of Finance prior to becoming the governor. His governorship oversaw the demonetization of ₹5,000 and ₹10,000 value currency.{{Cite news |date=November 9, 2016 |title=In 1946 and 1978, India had demonetised Rs 5,000, 10,000 notes |work=Deccan Chronicle |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/091116/scrapping-large-currency-not-new-in-1946-india-demonetised-rs-5000-10000-notes.html |access-date=June 19, 2022}} | |
| 15
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Manmohan|Singh}} |16 September 1982 |{{ayd|1982|9|16|1985|1|14}} |Singh is an economist who served as the Finance Secretary prior to becoming the governor. His governorship oversaw various legal reforms related to banking. | |
| 16
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Amitav|Ghosh|dab=banker}} |15 January 1985 |{{ayd|1985|1|15|1985|2|4}} |Ghosh was the deputy governor of RBI who was appointed as the interim governor until R. N. Malhotra assumed the office. | |
| 17
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|R. N.|Malhotra}} |4 February 1985 |{{ayd|1985|2|4|1990|12|22}} |Malhotra was an Indian Administrative Services officer who served as executive director of the International Monetary Fund prior to becoming the governor. His governorship oversaw the inauguration of Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research. | |
| 18
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|S.|Venkitaramanan}} |22 December 1990 |{{ayd|1990|12|22|1992|12|21}} |Venkitaramanan was an Indian Administrative Services officer who served as the Finance Secretary prior to becoming the governor. India adopted International Monetary Fund's stabilization program during his governorship. | |
| 19
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|C.|Rangarajan}} |22 December 1992 |{{ayd|1992|12|22|1997|11|21}} |Rangarajan is an economist who served as the deputy governor of RBI prior to becoming the governor. His governorship oversaw the establishment of unified exchange rate. | |
| 20
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Bimal|Jalan}} |22 November 1997 |{{ayd|1997|11|22|2003|9|6}} |Jalan is an economist who served at various positions including being the chief economic adviser to the government and serving as the Finance Secretary prior to becoming the governor. His governorship oversaw less inflation and interest rates. | |
| 21
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Y. Venugopal|Reddy}} |6 September 2003 |{{ayd|2003|9|6|2008|9|5}} |Reddy is an Indian Administrative Services officer who served as the deputy governor of RBI prior to becoming the governor. During his governorship, he contributed in the financial sector reforms and external commercial borrowings. | |
| 22
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|D.|Subbarao}} |5 September 2008 |{{ayd|2008|9|5|2013|9|4}} |Subbarao is an Indian Administrative Services officer who served as the Finance Secretary prior to becoming the governor. He wrote on various issues including decentralization and public finance. | |
| 23
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Raghuram|Rajan}} |4 September 2013 |{{ayd|2013|9|4|2016|9|4}} |Rajan is an economist who served as the chief economic advisor to the government and the chief economist of International Monetary Fund prior to becoming the governor. | |
| 24
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Urjit|Patel}} |4 September 2016 |{{ayd|2016|9|4|2018|12|11}} |Patel is an economist who worked with the IMF and the central government. He served as the deputy governor of RBI prior to becoming the governor. His governorship oversaw the demonetization of ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes. He later resigned citing personal reasons. |{{Cite web |date=2018-12-11 |title=Urjit Patel Resigns - Here are the reasons |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/heres-what-could-have-led-to-rbi-governor-urjit-patels-exit/articleshow/67026855.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2019-08-12 |website=Economic Times |language=en-IN}}{{cite web |title=Urjit Patel appointed Deputy Governor |url=http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=27952}}{{citation |title=Rs 500, Rs 1000 currency notes stand abolished from midnight: PM Modi |date=9 November 2016 |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/narendra-modi-prime-minister-address-to-the-nation4364609 |work=The Indian Express}} |
| 25
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Shaktikanta|Das}} |12 December 2018 |{{ayd|12 December 2018|11 December 2024}} |Das was an IAS officer who served as the Revenue Secretary and later Economic Affairs Secretary. He served as a Member of the 15th Finance Commission prior to becoming the governor. |{{Cite web |last1=Prasad |first1=Gireesh Chandra |last2=Ghosh |first2=Shayan |last3=Gopakumar |first3=Gopika |date=11 December 2018 |title=Shaktikanta Das, Who Oversaw Demonetization, Is New RBI Governor |url=https://www.livemint.com/Industry/mqqkVZgURWChvJbxq45E4H/Shaktikanta-Das-appointed-new-RBI-governor.html |access-date=24 April 2022 |website=Livemint}}{{Cite news |date=27 November 2017 |title=N.K. Singh heads 15th Finance Commission, Shaktikanta Das a member |website=Business Standard |location=New Delhi |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/n-k-singh-heads-15th-finance-commission-shaktikanta-das-a-member-117112701199_1.html |access-date=15 January 2018}}{{Cite news |date=29 August 2015 |title=Shaktikanta Das appointed Economic Affairs Secretary; Hasmukh Adhia is new Revenue Secretary |website=The Economic Times |location=New Delhi |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/shaktikanta-das-appointed-economic-affairs-secretary-hasmukh-adhia-is-new-revenue-secretary/articleshow/48715974.cms |access-date=15 January 2018}}{{Cite news |date=16 June 2014 |title=Shaktikanta Das appointed as Revenue Secretary |website=Business Standard |agency=Press Trust of India |location=New Delhi |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/shaktikanta-das-appointed-as-revenue-secretary-114061600671_1.html |access-date=15 January 2018}} |
| 26
!scope=row style="text-align:center"; | {{Sortname|Sanjay|Malhotra}} |11 December 2024 |93 days |Malhotra is an IAS officer who served as the Financial Services Secretary and later Revenue Secretary of India. |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons inline|Category:Reserve Bank of India|Reserve Bank of India}}
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{{Governors of Reserve Bank of India}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Governors of the Reserve Bank of India