Poonam Gupta (RBI) Age, Husband, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Poonam Gupta Mishra
Other Name	Dr. Poonam Gupta
Profession(s)	• Economist • Author
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 5" (165 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Major Designations	• Appointed as the Director General of National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) (2021) • Appointed as the Director of the National Growth and Macroeconomic Centre (2021) • Became a Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (2021) • Became a Member (Convener) of the Advisory Council to the 16th Finance Commission (June 2024) • Appointed as the Deputy Governor (DG) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) (2025)
Awards, Honours	• Government of India scholarship for academic performance in Senior Secondary School (1984-86) • Gold Medal for the Best Woman Candidate in Economics, University of Delhi (1986-89) • First Prizes for the Best Economics Student, Hindu College, University of Delhi (1987, 1988, 1989) • Scholarship for Academic Excellence in MA, University of Delhi (1989-91) • Scholarship for PhD at University of Maryland (1993-98) • EXIM Bank of India Award for PhD dissertation (1999) • Ranked among India's top five economists and globally recognised by REPEC, with over 6,000 research citations (November 2024) • Devi Award (2024) • Featured in BW Businessworld's '100 Most Influential Women' list as a leading lady in research
Personal Life
Date of Birth	Year, 1968
Age (as of 2025)	57 Years
Nationality	Indian
College/University	• Hindu College, University of Delhi • Delhi School of Economics, New Delhi • University of Maryland, College Park, USA
Educational Qualification(s)	• BA in Economics (Honours) from Hindu College (June 1969) • MA in Economics from Delhi School of Economics (June 1991) • MA in Economics from University of Maryland (June 1995) • PhD in Economics from University of Maryland (June 1998)
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Husband/Spouse	Deepak Mishra (economist)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Poonam Gupta

• Poonam Gupta hails from the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.

• She completed her BA in Economics at Hindu College, University of Delhi, in 1989, achieving a first division and ranking second in the university.

• She earned an MA in Economics (Hons.) from the Delhi School of Economics in 1991, securing a first division and ranking fifth at Delhi University.
  

  Poonam Gupta’s LinkedIn post about being at her alma mater Delhi School of Economics as a Panelist on ‘Macroeconomics of Growth with Stability in India’

• Poonam served as an assistant professor at Hansraj College and Hindu College, University of Delhi, from July 1991 to July 1993.

• She specialises in central banking, monetary and fiscal policy, inflation dynamics, and issues affecting emerging markets and the global economy.

• In August 1993, Poonam began working as a research and teaching assistant and as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, and continued working there until August 1998.

• In June 1994, she began her internship at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which continued until August 1996.

• Poonam earned an MA in Economics from the University of Maryland in 1995, graduating with the highest GPA in her class (3.9/4.0).

• In June 1998, she began working as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C., and served until June 2006.
  

  Poonam Gupta’s LinkedIn post about hosting an IMF-NCAER Discussion on Global and Indian Outlook

• In 2003, she served as a visiting professor at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

• In June 2006, Poonam joined the Department of Economics at the Delhi School of Economics as an associate professor and served until June 2008.

• In June 2009, she began working as a professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and continued until June 2011.

• Poonam Gupta has contributed to several books and journals, including ‘Emerging Giants: China and India in the World Economy’ (2010) and multiple volumes of the India Policy Forum from 2021 to 2024.

• From June 2011 to June 2013, she served as the Reserve Bank of India Chair Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP).

• Poonam joined the World Bank in Washington, D.C., USA, as a senior economist in June 2013. She was later promoted to the designation of lead economist and served till June 2021. There, she was in charge of global macro, market research, and IFC.
  

  Poonam Gupta during an event as the World Bank’s lead economist

• Poonam has been serving as the Director General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) since July 2021. She has also been serving as the Director of the National Growth and Macroeconomic Centre at NCAER since then.
  

  Poonam Gupta while addressing a conference as the Director General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)

• Poonam became the first woman to lead the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in Delhi with her appointment in 2021.

• She has been serving as the co-editor of the India Policy Forum and the editor of Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research since July 2021.

• She has also been serving as a member of the Governing Body of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy since July 2021.

• Poonam became a member of the Global Development Network’s board in January 2022.

• She became a member of the National Executive Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in July 2022.

• She served as a member of the Development Evaluation Advisory Committee (DEAC) at NITI Aayog from August 2022 to August 2023.
  

  Poonam Gupta at an event as NITI Aayog’s Development Evaluation Advisory Committee (DEAC) member

• Poonam became a member of the Expert Committee on PEs/VCs, set up by the Ministry of Finance, in September 2022. She served in this position until December 2022.

• She served as the Chair of the T20 Task Force on Macroeconomics, Trade, and Livelihoods from November 2022 to December 2023.

• From February 2023 to December 2023, she served as a member of the B20 Task Force under the Confederation of Indian Industry.

• In July 2023, she became a member of the Advisory Group for the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Global Practice (PEGP).

• Poonam became a member of the High-Level Advisory Group for the World Development Report on Middle Income Trap at the World Bank in July 2023 and served until July 2024.
  

  Poonam Gupta during a discussion about the World Bank’s 2024 World Development Report

• Poonam Gupta’s work is frequently cited in international media such as ‘The Economist,’ ‘Financial Times,’ ‘The Washington Post,’ and ‘Wall Street Journal,’ as well as in Indian media.

• She often advocates for a more relevant Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket, improved policy rate transmission, and a narrower inflation target range of 4-6% instead of 2-6%.

• On 3 April 2025, Poonam was appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). She replaced economist Michael Patra, who served as RBI’s Director General from January 2020 to 2025.

• Poonam became the first woman to be appointed as RBI’s Deputy Governor in 14 years. She is only the fourth woman to hold this position since RBI’s establishment in 1935.