Speeches & Media Interactions

Prof. Ram Singh, Director, Delhi School of Economics, Prof. Pami Dua, distinguished faculty of the Delhi School of Economics, assembled dignitaries and dear students. Good afternoon. 2. I am pleased to be here at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE) to deliver the Second V.K.R.V. Rao Memorial lecture. The late Professor Rao was not only a distinguished scholar - being one of the first three Ph.Ds in Economics from Cambridge University and winning the prestigious Adam Smith Prize in 1935 - but also an eminent institution builder. He served as member of the Planning Commission and Union Education Minister. For his outstanding contribution to public policy and economic research, Professor Rao was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1974. It is an honour to deliver a lecture in the memory of such a distinguished personality.

Distinguished guests and my colleagues, Namaste and a very good morning! 2. It gives me immense pleasure to address this august gathering of distinguished central bankers from diverse regions, expert speakers associated with renowned international institutions and my fellow colleagues from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) at this first International Conference on Central Bank Accounting Practices organised by RBI jointly with the SEACEN Centre. I am glad that the topic of Accounting in Central Banks has attracted interest amongst central bankers across the globe and more than 20 countries are participating in this event.

Chair of the event, Shri M Damodaran; Chairman, IRDAI, Shri Ajay Seth; Chairman, PFRDA, Shri S Ramann; WTM, SEBI, Shri Kamlesh Varshney and other distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen. A very good morning to all of you. 2. I am pleased to be here today for the 10th edition of the Gatekeepers of Governance Summit, as conferences like these provide an invaluable platform for the stakeholders to articulate and understand each other’s perspectives. I thank the organisers for this opportunity.

Shri Setty, Chairman, SBI, Shri Amara, MD, SBI, distinguished leaders and members of the financial fraternity. It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of what feels like, and perhaps is, the nerve centre of the Indian financial system.

I am delighted to be here amongst all of you in the SBI Banking and Economics Conclave. I sincerely thank Chairperson, SBI for providing me this opportunity to address the leaders of the banking and finance in the country. This Conclave is happening at a time when we are navigating a world of continued uncertainty, geopolitical realignment, and rapid technological change. This brings not only a host of challenges but also many opportunities.

It is a pleasure for me to be here at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit. I would like to thank the organisers for this opportunity. 2. In my brief comments, I will be reflecting on the observed economic and financial resilience of emerging markets (EMs) in general, and of the Indian economy, in particular. In this context, it may be noted that at the recently concluded Annual Meetings of the IMF, two contradictory themes prevailed: the unprecedented global policy uncertainty; and the surprising resilience of the economies