Poonam Gupta (economist)
Poonam Gupta is an Indian economist who is serving as the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India since 2 April 2025 where she is also the incharge of the Monetary Policy Committee and became the first woman to hold the position in over a decade. She has been appointed for a three-year term and is known for her extensive expertise in international finance and economic policy. Gupta has previously held key roles in global financial institutions and domestic economic bodies.
Early life and education
Gupta holds a Ph.D. and a master's degree in economics from the University of Maryland, United States. She also earned a Master's degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and her Bachelor's degree in Economics from Hindu College, Delhi of Delhi University where she secured second rank in university. In addition to her academic qualifications, she has taught at the Delhi School of Economics and the University of Maryland.Career
Before her appointment at the RBI, Gupta served as the director general of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, India's largest economic policy think tank. She has nearly two decades of experience working with the World Bank, where she was a Lead Economist focusing on India, and the International Monetary Fund, where she contributed to various departments.Her academic roles include serving as a professor at the Delhi School of Economics, Visiting Faculty at the Indian Statistical Institute, RBI Chair Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, and professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations.
Advisory roles
Gupta has also served in several prominent advisory capacities:- Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister.
- Convener of the advisory council to the 16th Finance Commission.
- Board member of NIPFP and Global Development Network.
- Member of the World Bank's advisory groups on Poverty & Equity and the World Development Report.
- Member of the Development Advisory Committee of NITI Aayog.
- Executive Committee Member of FICCI.
- Chair of the Task Force on Macroeconomics and Trade during India's G20 Presidency.