Poonam Gupta has assumed charge as the Reserve Bank of India’s new deputy governor on Friday, becoming the first woman to hold the position in nearly 14 years.

She will oversee key departments, including Monetary Policy Department, Financial Markets Operations Department, Department of Economic and Policy Research, Financial Stability Department, International Department, Department of Statistics and Information Management, Corporate Strategy and Budget Department and Department of Communication.

On April 02, 2025, the government appointed her to the post of Deputy Governor for a period of three years from the date of joining the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

She succeeds Michael Patra, whose term got over in January this year. Patra had previously headed the Monetary Policy Department, and after his departure, Deputy Governor M. Rajeshwar Rao temporarily took charge of the department.

Prior to this appointment, Gupta was the Director General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), leading the works on issues related to economic growth, international financial architecture, central banking, macro economic stability, public debt, and state finances. 

She also served as member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and as Convener of the Advisory Council to the 16th Finance Commission.

Before joining NCAER, she had worked at senior positions for nearly two decades at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. 

Gupta also taught at the Delhi School of Economics, University of Maryland (USA) and as a visiting faculty at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Delhi. 

She has been the RBI Chair Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and a Professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

Gupta has various research papers published and an edited book “Emerging Giants: China and India in the World Economy” to her credit. She holds a Master’s degree and PhD in Economics from University of Maryland, USA, and a Master’s degree in Economics from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi.