List of RBI Governors (1935–2026)

    

        The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s central bank, responsible for maintaining monetary stability, regulating the banking system, issuing currency, and supporting economic growth. Since its establishment in 1935, the RBI has been led by several governors who played key roles in shaping India’s financial system.

        Understanding the RBI Governors is an important part of Static GK, and questions from this topic frequently appear in Banking, SSC, Railways, UPSC, and State Exams.

📚 Complete List of RBI Governors (1935–2026)

1. Osborne Smith (1935–1937)

The first Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Served from April 1935 to June 1937.

2. James Braid Taylor (1937–1943)

Second Governor, served from July 1937 to February 1943.

3. C. D. Deshmukh (1943–1949)

First Indian RBI Governor. Served from August 1943 to June 1949.

4. Benegal Rama Rau (1949–1957)

Longest-serving Governor (8 years). In office from July 1949 to January 1957.

5. K. G. Ambegaonkar (1957)

Served a very short tenure from January 1957 to March 1957.

6. H. V. R. Iengar (1957–1962)

Governor from March 1957 to February 1962.

7. P. C. Bhattacharya (1962–1967)

Served from March 1962 to June 1967.

8. Lakshmi Kant Jha (1967–1970)

Governor from July 1967 to May 1970.

9. B. N. Adarkar (1970)

Served a very short term from May to June 1970.

10. S. Jagannathan (1970–1975)

In office from June 1970 to May 1975.

11. N. C. Sen Gupta (1975)

Served a brief tenure in 1975.

12. K. R. Puri (1975–1977)

Governor from August 1975 to May 1977.

13. M. Narasimham (1977)

Served from May 1977 to November 1977.

14. I. G. Patel (1977–1982)

Governor from December 1977 to September 1982.

15. Manmohan Singh (1982–1985)

Served from September 1982 to January 1985. Later became Prime Minister of India.

16. Amitav Ghosh (1985)

Shortest tenure of any RBI Governor — served only for 20 days in January 1985.

17. R. N. Malhotra (1985–1990)

Governor from February 1985 to December 1990.

18. S. Venkitaramanan (1990–1992)

Led the RBI during the 1991 balance-of-payments crisis. Served from December 1990 to December 1992.

19. C. Rangarajan (1992–1997)

Served from December 1992 to November 1997.

20. Bimal Jalan (1997–2003)

Governor from November 1997 to September 2003.

21. Y. V. Reddy (2003–2008)

Served from September 2003 to September 2008. Known for policies that protected India during the 2008 financial crisis.

22. Duvvuri Subbarao (2008–2013)

Governor from September 2008 to September 2013.

23. Raghuram Rajan (2013–2016)

Very popular Governor. Served from September 2013 to September 2016.

24. Urjit Patel (2016–2018)

Governor from September 2016 to December 2018. Key figure during demonetization.

25. Shaktikanta Das (2018–2024)

Served from December 2018 to December 2024. Oversaw digital payment growth, UPI expansion, and COVID-19 measures.

26. Sanjay Malhotra (2024–Present)

Current RBI Governor (as of 2026). Took charge in December 2024.

⭐ Important Points for Exams

🔹 First RBI Governor :  Osborne Smith

🔹 First Indian RBI Governor : C. D. Deshmukh

🔹 Longest-serving Governor :  Benegal Rama Rau (over 7 years)

🔹 Shortest tenure : Amitav Ghosh (20 days)

🔹 Governor during major economic reforms of 1991 : S. Venkitaramanan

🔹 Governor during 2016 demonetization : Urjit Patel

🔹 Current Governor (2026) : Sanjay Malhotra

    The Reserve Bank of India has had 26 Governors since its creation in 1935. Each Governor played a unique role in maintaining financial stability, controlling monetary policy, and guiding the Indian economy. This list is essential for students preparing for competitive exams because questions from this area are very common and easy to score.

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