Speeches & Media Interactions

I am happy to be here at the Global Leadership Summit which marks the 25th anniversary of CNBC TV18. I would like to congratulate Team CNBC TV18 for its successful journey over the years. It is indeed an honour for me to join this occasion to felicitate three distinguished former Governors of the Reserve Bank of India – Dr. C. Rangarajan, Dr. Bimal Jalan and Dr. Y.V Reddy.

I feel highly privileged to be here at this High Level Conference on ‘Central Banking at Crossroads’ and share some of my thoughts. When the definitive history of our times is written, the turn of the current decade will, in all probability, be regarded as a watershed in the evolution of central banking. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the persistent geopolitical strife thereafter, central banks are treading in the uncharted terrain of a twilight zone. Today, like never before in the five centuries of their existence, central banks are confronted with a future where their mandates, their functions and their performances are all up for unforgiving scrutiny.

I am delighted to have been invited by the Nepal Rashtra Bank (NRB) to deliver the inaugural Himalaya Shumsher Memorial Lecture. I deem it as a privilege. I place on record my appreciation of the Nepal Rashtra Bank for initiating this lecture series in honour of Shri Himalaya Shumsher Rana, the first governor of NRB from1956 to 1961. He contributed immensely to the development of Nepalese monetary and financial systems. His efforts laid the foundation for many of Nepal's key financial institutions and contributed significantly to the country's economic development. Nepal and India have enjoyed a long standing relationship that goes back into history. It is not just a relationship between the two countries, it is also a close people to people relationship. The Nepal Rashtra Bank and the Reserve Bank of India also share a close relationship based on mutual co-operation.

I am happy to participate in the third annual conference of the Bretton Woods Committee’s Future of Finance Forum. The conference brings together leaders and experts from the public and private sectors, multilateral institutions and think tanks to deliberate on emerging issues, trends and technologies in the financial sector. This comprehensive horizon scanning can enrich decision making and help to fashion strategies for exploiting opportunities, managing risks and building future resilience. Against this backdrop, I propose to focus on the global financial stability landscape and the evolving balance of risks and opportunities beyond the current macro-economic environment. 

I am happy to be back at the FIBAC annual conference. This conference is special as it brings together industry leaders, financial sector players and regulators on a single platform to discuss vital issues of contemporary relevance. I would like to congratulate the FICCI and the IBA for organising this annual conference.

Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Industry leaders, Esteemed participants, Members of the media, Ladies and Gentlemen. The Global FinTech Fest (GFF) has emerged as a flagship event, showcasing innovations, technological transformation and the spirit of collaboration in the Indian FinTech sector. Started in 2020 in the virtual mode, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with about 12,000 participants, GFF 2024 has so far seen 80,000 participants. This demonstrates not only the growing stature of this event, but also the growing prominence of India in technology driven financial innovation. The presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister in GFF 2024 inspires all of us to put in our best efforts to build a fintech ecosystem that is truly future ready.

I am very happy to participate in the 5th edition of the Global Fintech Fest (GFF). I would like to congratulate the organisers – NPCI, PCI and FCC1 – for bringing together diverse stakeholders from the FinTech ecosystem including FinTech innovators and companies, banks, NBFCs, regulators and others for this year’s GFF. This event has grown into a much awaited fixture in the calendar of not just the Fintech industry but also the broader technology ecosystem. 

We are celebrating the 90th year of the Reserve Bank of India in the current financial year. This Global Conference on ‘Digital Public Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies’ is among the marquee events that we are organising to commemorate this significant milestone. It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to each one of you to this conference, held in the beautiful and vibrant city of Bengaluru—a city which, for many years now, has been at the forefront of India’s technology revolution. I would also like to extend a special welcome to the esteemed participants who have joined us from across the globe. Thank you all for accepting our invitation. I sincerely hope that you will find the deliberations and interactions during the Global Conference enriching and productive. 

1. Distinguished Guests, Deputy Governor Dr Michael D Patra, Deputy Governor Shri M R Rao, Board of Directors of DICGC, colleagues from DICGC and RBI, ladies, and gentlemen. A very good morning to all of you. 2. It is, indeed, an honour to address this distinguished gathering of global deposit insurers. Deposit insurers, as vital pillars of the financial safety-net system, play a crucial role in bolstering public confidence in the banking sector and fostering overall financial stability. My compliments to the organizers of this Conference—the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI), which has excelled as a global standard-setter, the Asia Pacific Regional Committee (APRC), and the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC)—for their exemplary efforts in bringing this event to fruition.