Speeches & Media Interactions

1. The Launching of Mission ‘Har Payment Digital’ today during the Digital Payments Awareness Week (DPAW) 2023 reinforces RBI’s commitment to deepen digital payments in the country. 2. I am happy to note that the Department of Payment and Settlement Systems (DPSS) of the RBI is celebrating its 18th anniversary (it was formed on March 7, 2005). Congratulations to team DPSS on this milestone. Over the years our payment systems have evolved and now we have multiple syste

I am delighted to be here with the economists of the Reserve Bank to inaugurate the annual research conference of the Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR). This conference is being held after a gap of more than three years. While I have been regularly interacting with many of you individually or in groups to discuss various issues, this is the first time that I am addressing all of you at one place. 2. The economics profession today faces one of its tough

I am happy to have been invited to this Annual FIBAC 2022 Conference. This is an important forum for industry stalwarts, banking practitioners, thought leaders and policymakers to brainstorm on emerging issues. This conference is being held at a time when the global economy is going through a process of churning. Triple shocks of COVID-19, war in Ukraine and the current financial market turmoil have created a toxic mix of factors and circumstances which every country

Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Finance Minister, Hon’ble Ministers from the Central Government, Hon’ble Chief Ministers and Ministers from the State Governments, Hon’ble MPs and MLAs, Officers from Central and State Governments, Deputy Governors of RBI, MD&CEOs of Banks, Dignitaries and participants from across the country, Ladies and Gentlemen. 2. It is my proud privilege to welcome the Hon’ble Prime Minister to this event. His presence here is a great source of

I am delighted to be here today in the third edition of the Global Fintech Festival (GFF). I would like to congratulate the organisers – the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC) and the Payment Council of India (PCI) for organising this event. The theme of the event – Creating a sustainable financial world - is very relevant in current times. 2. In recent years, India has witnessed rapid progress in the financial service

1. I am happy to be part of this FIMMDA1 event today. I take this opportunity to place on record the RBI’s appreciation of the key role played by FIMMDA in the development of financial markets in India. 2. In my address this evening, I propose to reflect upon some recent financial market developments and our efforts to navigate through them in the prevailing global and domestic environment. I shall then touch upon some of our recent initiatives for the development of

I am delighted to be here among such a distinguished gathering at the Bank of Baroda Banking Conference. I wish to compliment the Bank of Baroda for organising this event and for having chosen ‘Banking Beyond Tomorrow’ as the theme of the Conference. Given that the banking landscape is witnessing far-reaching changes in the backdrop of rapid innovation, disruption and evolution of new business models, I believe this theme merits active discussion. 2. In my address tod

I am delighted to participate in the inaugural Kautilya Economic Conclave. I look forward to this forum emerging as a leading platform for thoughtful discussions on contemporary economic and policy issues. The conference is being attended by a host of dignitaries from India and abroad, and I am sure their insights on a vast canvas of topics will enhance our understanding of current and future issues. In my address today, I propose to focus on a matter that is now in e

It is a privilege to inaugurate the annual ‘Statistics Day Conference’ of the Reserve Bank. This annual event is taking place today in the physical mode after a gap of two years. On this day, the nation commemorates the contributions of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, one of the pioneers in the discipline of statistics and a true visionary. Professor C. R. Rao, a great statistician and a student of Professor Mahalanobis described him as “a physicist by trainin

It is my pleasure to be here amongst such a distinguished gathering to deliver the inaugural address at the Financial Express Modern BFSI Summit. The theme of my address “Disruptions & Opportunities in the Financial Sector’ will resonate in the current context of technological innovations and fast evolving business models in the financial sector. 2. The impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the recent geo-political crisis and the all-pervasive technological innovations swe

Good morning! 2. I am delighted to be here in Guwahati, the gateway to North-Eastern India. The ‘Annual Statistics Conference - 2022’ of the Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM), which is being held after a hiatus1 is an important event in the calendar of activities of the RBI. The earlier conference, which was scheduled here in March 2020 was cancelled a day before it was to commence due to the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. 3. The ancient name of

It is a great pleasure to address such an august gathering in this event organised by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Department of Revenue, Government of India as part of the Iconic week of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. The topic I have chosen for my address today, namely, “Indian Businesses: Past, Present and Future” will resonate with the audience here. Businesses form the bedrock of an economy and on an occasion like this, it would

Central Banks are often viewed as traditional institutions that set monetary policies, issue currencies and regulate and supervise the financial sector segments and entities. For every economy to grow steadily and efficiently, this characteristic of a central bank is very important. Being a full service central bank, the RBI also plays a developmental role and is looked upon as a residual regulator as well. 2. RBI has been able to perform its varied roles with require

A very warm good morning and Namaskar. 1. On behalf of the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, I have the privilege of welcoming the Hon’ble Prime Minister to this event to launch two major initiatives of the Reserve Bank. Sir, your participation in this event is a source of great motivation for all of us in the RBI. I would also like to welcome the Hon’ble Finance Minister to this event and thank her for her continuing support. We are also honoured by the est

It gives me great pleasure to be here at the National Academy of Audit and Accounts (NAAA), Shimla today to address the probationers and other officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS). For the probationers, this is a time when they are embarking upon a journey in the service of the nation as the principal flag bearers of accountability and transparency in public finance and governance. 2. Civil Services play a pivotal role in the overall progress of a

It is my pleasure to be part of the Annual FIMMDA-PDAI Conference today. I take this opportunity to place on record the Reserve Bank’s deep appreciation of the key role played by FIMMDA and PDAI in the development of financial markets in India. Both organizations have played a significant role in improving the depth and liquidity of interest rate markets and in supporting primary issuance by the Government. Introduction 2. During May last year, in one of my statements

I wish to thank the organisers of the Economic Times Financial Inclusion Summit for inviting me to address this august gathering. Financial inclusion is a key driver of sustained and balanced economic growth which helps reduce income inequality and poverty. While we have made tremendous strides in this area over the years, the pandemic has created new challenges and complexities. The financial system will have a crucial role to fulfil the aspirations and needs of our

I would begin by thanking the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the invitation to address this eminent gathering, even if virtually – the compulsive reality of the current times. My heartiest congratulations to the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry for completing 184 years of successful functioning. Besides being the oldest serving Chamber in the country, you have left a significant mark on the destiny of this city as also of the nation. I am happy to

I wish to thank NCAER for inviting me to deliver the key note address at this webinar on National Strategy for Financial Education. I appreciate the thoughtful initiative of NCAER in choosing this topic for the webinar. As we inch towards the close of what has been an unprecedented year in terms of loss of lives and livelihood and the way of living in general, it would be appropriate to look at the area of financial inclusion and literacy which has both broad macro le

1. I wish to thank FEDAI for inviting me on the occasion of their 4th Annual Day. This is an opportune moment to look back and reflect on the developments of the last one year in financial markets and, in particular, the foreign exchange markets. The year 2020 has been one like never before. Faced with an unknown crisis which brought the global economy to a sudden stop, recent policy discourse has been dominated, and rightly so, by the impact of the pandemic. Despite

1. The COVID-19 pandemic still continues to keep the world on the edge. The pandemic has so far infected more than 2.3 crore people and has claimed more than 8 lakh lives worldwide. The world is struggling to find a vaccine and/or a cure to the deadly virus. In India also the spread of pandemic continues unabated, though the fatality rate is much lower. 2. As the pandemic ravages on, the economic impact is hard to measure. While there are green shoots and some busines

A very warm good morning to you all. I wish to thank the State Bank of India for inviting me to deliver the keynote address today. I sincerely appreciate the efforts of the organising team in putting together this virtual conference which has now become a new normal. Banks and other financial entities are today at the forefront of the country’s counter measures against the economic impact of COVID-19. They are the transmission channels for RBI’s monetary, regulatory a

It is indeed a matter of great pleasure for me to be here today in the Annual Banking Conclave of the Mint. I am told that this is the 13th edition of Conclave in what has become a prestigious annual event attracting the best and brightest minds of the finance and banking industry. This Conclave provides an important platform to all stakeholders in India’s financial and banking sector for assessing where we stand today and preparing ourselves for where we want to reac

On behalf of the Reserve Bank of India, I am delighted to welcome Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam to deliver the Professor Suresh Tendulkar Memorial Lecture, the third in the series. We are also deeply honoured to have Smt. Sunetra Tendulkar, the wife of late Professor Tendulkar and his daughter Smt. Saee Sapre with us. A hearty welcome to all the distinguished invitees of the Reserve Bank. About Prof. Suresh D. Tendulkar 2. Prof. Suresh D. Tendulkar was a great teacher, e

It is a privilege to be here this morning at the very prestigious India Economic Conclave organised by The Times Network. I assumed charge of the Reserve Bank last year on December 12, and this event was held around that time. Having witnessed many of the proceedings of the event last year on television, I looked forward to participating in this year’s conclave. I must also compliment Shri Anand of Times Network and Shri Vaidyanathan of IDFC First Bank for introducing

I am very happy to be amongst you today to address the first Annual Economics Conference being organised by the Amrut Mody School of Management, Ahmedabad University. The theme of the conference – “50 years of Bank Nationalisation: Indian Banking at Crossroads” - provides the perfect backdrop for a discussion on the evolution of Public Sector Banks(PSBs), their journey over the last 50 years and a vision for their future. The banking system has played a critical role

I am delighted to be part of this event for the launch of Shri V. Srinivas’s book on “India’s Relations with the International Monetary Fund”. A respected civil servant of the 1989 batch, he has drawn extensively on his hands-on stint as Advisor to the Executive Director for India at the IMF during 2003-06, combining it with his scholarship and experience in policy making. The book and the function today will promote readership on an important subject and spur more th

The Complaint Management System (CMS), the application being launched today, symbolizes RBI’s commitment to improve customer experience in grievance redressal process by ensuring timely resolution of complaints received at the Reserve Bank. I take this opportunity to seek the co-operation of all RBI regulated entities with public interface such as commercial banks, Urban Co-operative banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), etc. in resolving customer complaints

I am happy to be participating in the Fifteenth Annual Convocation ceremony of Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (Banking and Financial Services) for the Batch of 2017-19. I thank Dr. K.L. Dhingra, Director, National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM) and members of faculty for inviting me to join the young minds at their convocation ceremony. This is indeed a moment of pride for students as it marks the fruition of years of dedication, perseverance and hard work.

On behalf of the Reserve Bank of India, I am delighted to welcome Mr. Agustin Carstens, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements to deliver the C. D. Deshmukh Memorial lecture, the seventeenth in the series. We are also honored to have Smt. and Shri Atul Deshmukh from late Shri C. D. Deshmukh’s family. A hearty welcome to all the distinguished invitees of the Reserve Bank. 2. At the outset, I would like to say a few words about Shri C. D. Deshmukh to

Thank you for inviting me to this forum. I intend to cover some of the global risks and policy challenges from the perspective of emerging market economies (EMEs). We are aware that most EMEs have emerged more resilient than before from a turbulent 2018. For the greater part of 2018, the EMEs faced a wave of global spillover risks leading to capital outflows, currency and asset price volatility and tightened financial conditions. These developments posed risks to grow

I am extremely happy to participate in NITI Aayog’s FinTech Conclave 2019 and share my thoughts on the technological revolution that is shaping the future of finance. I am particularly thankful to Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog for having invited me to such an august gathering. As I understand, this Conclave is woven around the theme of Indian FinTech ecosystem as well as steps required to help achieve the potential that the sector offers towards growth, employm

I am honoured to be invited for the launch of the book "Indian Fiscal Federalism" authored by Dr. Y.V. Reddy and Shri G.R. Reddy. This is the latest in a prolific body of work that draws from Dr. Reddy’s hands-on experience with the Indian economy and public policy. These insightful expositions are interwoven with glimpses of Dr. Reddy’s professional life and his 'insider' views. 2. As Governor of the Reserve Bank of India during 2003-2008, after his stint as Deputy G

I am very happy to participate in the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. It is indeed a pleasure to be here and share my thoughts on various contours of the Indian economy. I thank the organisers of this event, namely the Government of Gujarat, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund and the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India for inviting me to this Roundtable. 2. As this august audience would know, India in recent