The prestigious research institution, the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) Director General Poonam Gupta, has been approved by the government for appointment as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for three years. The Deputy Governor position was vacant since January after the resignation of Michael Debabrata Patra. The Cabinet Appointments Committee (ACC) has approved Gupta's appointment for three years from the date she assumes charge.

Gupta is currently serving as the Director General of NCAER. She is also a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council and the convenor of the 16th Finance Commission Advisory Council. Before joining NCAER in 2021, she held senior positions at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington for nearly two decades. She has also taught at the Delhi School of Economics and the University of Maryland (USA), and served as a visiting faculty at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Delhi.

She has previously been an RBI Chair Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and a professor at ICRIER. Gupta holds a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Maryland, USA, as well as a Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics. In 1998, she was awarded the EXIM Bank Prize for her Ph.D. research in international economics.

According to the RBI schedule, the first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting is set to take place between April 7-9. The Reserve Bank of India has also outlined the complete monetary policy meeting schedule for the fiscal year 2026.