Table of Contents
List of RBI Governors of India 2023
RBI Governors List
RBI or Reserve Bank of India is the Central Bank of India and as its preamble says it is established “to regulate the issue of Bank notes and keeping of reserves with a view of securing monetary stability in India and generally to operate the currency and credit system of the country to its advantage; to have a modern monetary policy framework to meet the challenge of an increasingly complex economy, to maintain price stability while keeping in mind the objective of growth.
RBI Governors
The RBI Governor is appointed by the Government of India and serves as the chief executive of the central bank. The role of the RBI Governor encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including maintaining price stability, managing inflation, promoting economic growth, supervising financial institutions, and representing the RBI at national and international forums. Over the years, several eminent individuals have held the prestigious position of RBI Governor, each leaving their unique imprint on the Indian economy and financial landscape.
- The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India is the chief executive officer of India’s central bank
- He is the ex-officio chair of its Central Board of Directors.
- 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 India, the RBI has been headed by twenty-five governors.
- Sir Osborn smith was the first Governor of RBI
RBI Governors: A Brief History
In 1926, the Hilton Young Commission recommended the setting up of the Reserve Bank of India. The Reserve Bank of India came into existence on April 1, 1935, in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act of 1934. Initially, The central office of RBI was established in Kolkata but in 1937 it was permanently shifted to Mumbai. The Central Office is where the Governor sits and where policies are formulated. During the colonial era, RBI was privately owned. After independence, in 1949, the Reserve Bank was fully owned by the Government of India.
RBI Governor : Shaktikanta Das
Shaktikanta Das (born 26 February 1957) is a retired 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. Currently serving as the 25th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), he was earlier a member of the Fifteenth Finance Commission and India’s Sherpa to the G20.
Shaktikanta Das was earlier appointed in 2018 and later on reappointed in 2021. “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the reappointment of Shaktikanta Das as Reserve Bank of India Governor for a period of three years beyond 10.12.2021 or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” an official statement stated.
List of RBI Governors of India From 1935 To 2023
Here is the list of 25 governors of the Reserve Bank of India and explained with the tenure. Read further to know the list of governors of RBI.
| List of RBI Governors of India From 1935 To 2023 | |||
| Name of Governor | Tenure | Term in office | Background |
| Sir Osborne Smith | April 1, 1935 – June 30, 1937 | 2 years, 90 days | Banker |
| Sir James Braid Taylor | July 1, 1937 – February 17, 1943 | 5 years, 231 days | Indian Civil Service (ICS) |
| Sir C.D. Deshmukh | August 11, 1943 – June 30, 1949 | 5 years, 323 days | ICS officer |
| Sir Bengal Rama Rau | July 1, 1949 – January 14, 1957 | 7 years, 197 days | ICS officer |
| K.G. Ambegaonkar | January 14, 1957 – February 28, 1957 | 45 days | ICS officer |
| H.V.R Lyengar | March 1, 1957 – February 28, 1962 | 4 years, 364 days | ICS officer |
| P.C Bhattacharya | March 1, 1962 – June 30, 1967 | 5 years, 121 days | Indian Adult and Accounts Service officer |
| Lakshmi Kant Jha | July 1, 1967 – May 3, 1970 | 2 years, 306 days | ICS officer |
| B.N. Adarkar | May 4, 1970 – June 15, 1970 | 42 days | Economist |
| Sarukkai Jagannathan | June 16, 1970 – May 19, 1975 | 4 years, 337 days | ICS officer |
| N.C. Sen Gupta | May 19, 1975 – August 19, 1975 | 92 days | ICS officer |
| K.R. Puri | August 20, 1975 – May 2, 1977 | 1 year, 255 days | |
| M. Narasimham | May 3, 1977 – November 30, 1977 | 211 days | Career Reserve Bank of India officer |
| I.G. Patel | December 1, 1977 – September 15, 1982 | 4 years, 288 days | Economist |
| Manmohan Singh | September 16, 1982 – January 14, 1985 | 2 years, 120 days | Economist |
| Amitav Gosh | January 15, 1985 – September 4, 1985 | 20 days | Banker |
| R.N. Malhotra | February 4, 1985 – December 22, 1990 | 5 years, 321 days | Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer |
| S. Vpnldraramanan | December 22, 1990 – December 21, 1992 | 1 year, 365 days | IAS officer |
| C. Rangarajan | December 22, 1992 – November 21, 1997 | 4 years, 334 days | Economist |
| Bimal Jalan | November 22, 1997 – September 6, 2003 | 5 years, 288 days | Economist |
| Y.V. Reddy | September 6, 2003 – September 5, 2008 | 4 years, 365 days | IAS officer |
| D. Subbarao | September 5, 2008 – September 4, 2013 | 4 years, 364 days | IAS officer |
| Raghuram G. Rajan | September 4, 2013 – September 4, 2016 | 3 years | Economist |
| Urjit Ravindra Patel | September 4, 2016 – December 10, 2018 | 2 years, 98 days | Economist |
| Shaktikanta Das | December 12, 2018 – to Present | 3 years, 76 days | IAS officer |
Deputy Governor of RBI List
The Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India is the second most senior executive officer of RBI after its Governor. Since its establishment in 1934, the RBI has had 63 deputy governors. The term of office runs for three years and in some cases, be extended for another two years. The list of deputy governors of RBI is tabulated below in this List of RBI Governors of India 2023 post.
| Deputy Governor of RBI List | ||||
| Name of Deputy Governor | Tenure | Term in Office | Background | |
| James Braid Taylor | 1 April 1935 | 30 June 1937 | 2 years, 90 days | Civil Servant |
| Sikandar Hayat Khan | 1 April 1935 | 20 October 1935 | 202 days | Politician |
| Manilal Balabhai Nanavati | 21 December 1936 | 21 December 1941 | 5 years, 0 days | Freedom fighter |
| C. D. Deshmukh | 22 December 1941 | 10 October 1943 | 1 year, 292 days | Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer |
| Wajahat Hussain | 16 August 1943 | 04 December 1945 | 2 years, 49 days | ICS officer |
| C.R. Trevor | 16 August 1943 | 31 December 1949 | 6 years, 137 days | ICS officer |
| M.G. Mekhri | 08 July 1946 | 07 July 1951 | 4 years, 364 days | ICS officer |
| W.T. McCallum | 15 April 1946 | 14 July 1948 | 2 years, 90 days | ICS officer |
| N. Sundaresan | 01 January 1950 | 31 December 1954 | 4 years, 364 days | ICS officer |
| Ram Nath | 08 June 1951 | 08 July 1959 | 8 years, 30 days | ICS officer |
| K. G. Ambegaonkar | 01 March 1955 | 29 February 1960 | 4 years, 365 days | ICS officer |
| Borra Venkatappaiah | 01 July 1955 | 28 February 1962 | 6 years, 242 days | Career Banker |
| M.V. Rangachari | 01 March 1960 | 28 February 1965 | 4 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| Dattatreya Gopal Karve | 01 March 1962 | 29 February 1964 | 1 year, 365 days | Economist |
| C.S. Divekar | 12 November 1962 | 11 November 1965 | 2 years, 364 days | Economist |
| M.R. Bhide | 29 February 1964 | 25 January 1967 | 2 years, 331 days | Economist |
| B.K. Madan | 1 July 1964 | 31 January 1967 | 2 years, 214 days | Economist |
| B. N. Adarkar | 16 June 1965 | 03 May 1970 | 4 years, 321 days | Economist |
| A. Bakshi | 24 January 1967 | 08 September 1969 | 2 years, 227 days | Economist |
| J.J. Anjaria | 1 February 1967 | 28 February 1970 | 3 years, 27 days | Economist |
| P.N. Damry | 13 February 1967 | 15 March 1972 | 5 years, 31 days | Economist |
| Rabindra Kishen Hazari | 27 November 1969 | 26 November 1977 | 7 years, 364 days | Economist |
| V. V. Chari | 17 November 1970 | 30 November 1975 | 5 years, 13 days | Economist |
| S.S. Shiralkar | 18 December 1970 | 25 July 1976 | 5 years, 220 days | Economist |
| R.K. Sheshadri | 26 July 1973 | 25 July 1976 | 2 years, 365 days | Economist |
| K.S. Krishnaswamy | 29 December 1975 | 31 March 1981 | 5 years, 92 days | Economist |
| P.R. Nangia | 29 December 1975 | 15 February 1982 | 6 years, 48 days | Economist |
| J.C. Luther | 04 January 1977 | 01 June 1977 | 148 days | Economist |
| M. Ramakrishnayya | 04 January 1977 | 01 June 1977 | 148 days | Indian Administrative Service officer |
| Amitav Ghosh | 21 January 1982 | 20 January 1992 | 9 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| C. Rangarajan | 12 February 1982 | 20 August 1991 | 9 years, 189 days | Career Banker |
| M.V. Hate | 12 March 1982 | 11 March 1985 | 2 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| R.K. Kaul | 01 October 1983 | 30 September 1986 | 2 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| P.D. Ojha | 29 April 1985 | 28 April 1990 | 4 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| P.R. Nayak | 01 April 1987 | 31 March 1992 | 4 years, 365 days | Career Banker |
| R. Janakiraman | 01 April 1987 | 31 March 1992 | 4 years, 365 days | Career Banker |
| S.S. Tarapore | 30 January 1992 | 30 September 1996 | 4 years, 244 days | Career Banker |
| D. R. Mehta | 11 November 1992 | 21 February 1995 | 3 years, 102 days | Economist |
| S.P. Talwar | 07 November 1994 | 30 June 2001 | 6 years, 235 days | Economist |
| R.V. Gupta | 02 May 1995 | 30 November 1997 | 2 years, 212 days | Economist |
| Y. V. Reddy | 14 September 1996 | 31 July 2002 | 5 years, 320 days | Career Banker |
| Jagdish Capoor | 01 January 1997 | 30 June 2001 | 4 years, 180 days | Career Banker |
| Vepa Kamesam | 01 July 2001 | 23 December 2003 | 2 years, 175 days | Career Banker |
| G P Muniappan | 01 July 2001 | 31 May 2003 | 1 year, 334 days | Career Banker |
| Rakesh Mohan | 09 September 2002 | 10 June 2009 | 6 years, 274 days | Economist |
| K J Udeshi | 10 June 2003 | 12 December 2005 | 2 years, 185 days | Career Banker |
| V Leeladhar | 21 September 2004 | 08 December 2008 | 4 years, 78 days | Career Banker |
| Shyamala Gopinath | 21 September 2004 | 08 December 2008 | 4 years, 78 days | Career Banker |
| Usha Thorat | 10 November 2005 | 09 November 2010 | 4 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| Kamalesh Chandra Chakrabarty | 15 June 2009 | 25 April 2014 | 4 years, 314 days | Career Banker |
| Subir Gokarn | 24 November 2009 | 31 December 2012 | 3 years, 37 days | Economist |
| Anand Sinha | 19 January 2011 | 18 January 2014 | 2 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| Harun Rashid Khan | 04 July 2011 | 04 July 2016 | 5 years, 0 days | Career Banker |
| Urjit Patel | 11 January 2013 | 04 September 2016 | 3 years, 237 days | Career Banker |
| R Gandhi | 03 April 2014 | 02 April 2017 | 3 years, 237 days | Career Banker |
| Subhash Sheoratan Mundra | 31 July 2014 | 30 July 2017 | 2 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| Viral Acharya | 23 January 2017 | 23 January 2019 | 2 years, 0 days | Career Banker |
| N. S. Vishwanathan | 04 July 2016 | 31 March 2020 | 3 years, 271 days | Career Banker |
| B.P. Kanungo | 03 April 2017 | 02 April 2021 | 3 years, 364 days | Career Banker |
| Mahesh Kumar Jain | 22 June 2018 | 26 June 2023 | 5 years, 26 days | Career Banker |
| Michael Patra | 15 January 2020 | Incumbent | 3 years, 184 days | Career Banker |
| M. Rajeshwar Rao | 09 October 2020 | Incumbent | 2 years, 282 days | Career Banker |
| T. Rabi Sankar | 03 May 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 76 days | Career Banker |
| Swaminathan Janakiraman | 26 June 2023 | Incumbent | 22 days | Career Banker |
List of RBI Governors of India From 1935 To 2023 PDF Download
FAQs on List of RBI Governors of India 2023
Q1. What is the RBI?
ANS: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s central banking institution, established in 1935, responsible for monetary policy, currency issuance, and financial regulation in the country.
Q2. How is the RBI Governor appointed?
ANS: The RBI Governor is appointed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the recommendation of the Union Finance Minister.
Q3. Who was the first Indian Governor of RBI?
ANS: Sir C. D. Deshmukh was the first Indian Governor of RBI.
