Who was the longest-serving Governor of RBI?

Sir Benegal Rama Rau was the longest-serving RBI Governor. He served from 1 July 1949 to 14 January 1957, for approximately seven years and six months.

Who was the shortest-serving Governor of RBI?

A. Ghosh was the shortest-serving RBI Governor. He held office from 15 January 1985 to 4 February 1985, for approximately 20 days.

When was the Reserve Bank of India established?

The Reserve Bank of India commenced operations on 1 April 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

When was RBI nationalised?

The Reserve Bank of India was nationalised on 1 January 1949, after initially functioning as a privately owned shareholders' bank.

Where is the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India located?

The headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The RBI's Central Office was initially established in Kolkata and shifted to Mumbai in 1937.

List of RBI Governors in India 2026: First, Current Governor & Their Tenure

Q: Who was the first Indian Governor of RBI?

Sir C. D. Deshmukh was the first Indian Governor of RBI. His tenure lasted from 11 August 1943 to 30 June 1949.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been headed by several distinguished economists, administrators and banking professionals since its establishment in 1935. The list of RBI Governors is an important topic for Banking Awareness and General Awareness sections of competitive examinations, particularly questions related to the first and current Governor, tenure and order of appointment. Sir Osborne Smith was the first RBI Governor, while Sanjay Malhotra is the 26th and current Governor of RBI.

List of RBI Governors in India 2026

The RBI has had 26 Governors since it began operations in 1935. The list includes Governors who served for several years as well as those appointed for short interim periods.

No.	Name of RBI Governor	Tenure
1	Sir Osborne Smith	1 April 1935 – 30 June 1937
2	Sir James Braid Taylor	1 July 1937 – 17 February 1943
3	Sir C. D. Deshmukh	11 August 1943 – 30 June 1949
4	Sir Benegal Rama Rau	1 July 1949 – 14 January 1957
5	K. G. Ambegaonkar	14 January 1957 – 28 February 1957
6	H. V. R. Iengar	1 March 1957 – 28 February 1962
7	P. C. Bhattacharya	1 March 1962 – 30 June 1967
8	L. K. Jha	1 July 1967 – 3 May 1970
9	B. N. Adarkar	4 May 1970 – 15 June 1970
10	S. Jagannathan	16 June 1970 – 19 May 1975
11	N. C. Sen Gupta	19 May 1975 – 19 August 1975
12	K. R. Puri	20 August 1975 – 2 May 1977
13	M. Narasimham	2 May 1977 – 30 November 1977
14	Dr. I. G. Patel	1 December 1977 – 15 September 1982
15	Dr. Manmohan Singh	16 September 1982 – 14 January 1985
16	A. Ghosh	15 January 1985 – 4 February 1985
17	R. N. Malhotra	4 February 1985 – 22 December 1990
18	S. Venkitaramanan	22 December 1990 – 21 December 1992
19	Dr. C. Rangarajan	22 December 1992 – 22 November 1997
20	Dr. Bimal Jalan	22 November 1997 – 6 September 2003
21	Dr. Y. V. Reddy	6 September 2003 – 5 September 2008
22	Dr. D. Subbarao	5 September 2008 – 4 September 2013
23	Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan	4 September 2013 – 4 September 2016
24	Dr. Urjit R. Patel	4 September 2016 – 11 December 2018
25	Shri Shaktikanta Das	12 December 2018 – 10 December 2024
26	Shri Sanjay Malhotra	11 December 2024 – Present

Who Was the First Governor of RBI?

Sir Osborne Smith was the first Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He assumed office on 1 April 1935, when the RBI commenced operations under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. He served until 30 June 1937 and was a professional banker with experience in Australia before joining the Imperial Bank of India in India. An interesting fact is that Sir Osborne Smith did not sign any banknotes during his tenure as RBI Governor.

Who Was the First Indian Governor of RBI?

Sir C. D. Deshmukh was the first Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He assumed office on 11 August 1943 and served until 30 June 1949. Before becoming Governor, he had served as a Deputy Governor of RBI and was associated with the institution from 1939. His tenure witnessed India’s Independence and the nationalisation of the Reserve Bank on 1 January 1949.

Who Is the Current Governor of RBI in 2026?

Shri Sanjay Malhotra is the current and 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India as of November 2026. He assumed charge on 11 December 2024 for a period of three years, succeeding Shaktikanta Das. He is a 1990-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre and previously served as Secretary in the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. He has also held the position of Secretary in the Department of Financial Services.

Longest-Serving RBI Governor

Sir Benegal Rama Rau was the longest-serving Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He held office from 1 July 1949 to 14 January 1957, serving for approximately seven years and six months. During his tenure, India entered the Planning Era, and important developments took place in cooperative credit and industrial finance. He also witnessed the transformation of the Imperial Bank of India into the State Bank of India following the recommendations of the All India Rural Credit Survey Committee.

Shortest-Serving RBI Governors

Some RBI Governors served for only a few months or weeks, primarily during transitional periods between appointments. These short tenures are also important from an examination perspective.

Governor	Tenure	Approximate Duration
A. Ghosh	15 January 1985 – 4 February 1985	20 days
B. N. Adarkar	4 May 1970 – 15 June 1970	42 days
N. C. Sen Gupta	19 May 1975 – 19 August 1975	3 months
K. G. Ambegaonkar	14 January 1957 – 28 February 1957	45 days