Chief Economic Advisers of India
The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) of India is the principal economic advisor to the Government of India, working under the Ministry of Finance. The CEA plays a key role in shaping economic policy, preparing the Economic Survey, and advising the Finance Minister on macroeconomic issues.
Here is a list of all the Chief Economic Advisers of India and their time in office:
Name | Duration (Start – End) | Home State | Prime Minister(s) |
V. Anantha Nageswaran | 28 January 2022 – Present | Tamil Nadu | Narendra Modi |
Krishnamurthy Subramanian | 7 December 2018 – 7 December 2021 | Tamil Nadu | Narendra Modi |
Arvind Subramanian | 16 October 2014 – 20 June 2018 | Tamil Nadu | Narendra Modi |
Raghuram Rajan | 10 August 2012 – 4 September 2013 | Madhya Pradesh | Manmohan Singh |
Kaushik Basu | 2009 – 2012 | West Bengal | Manmohan Singh |
Arvind Virmani | 2007 – 2009 | Not Publicly Specified | Manmohan Singh |
Ashok K. Lahiri | 2002 – 2007 | West Bengal | Atal Bihari Vajpayee / Manmohan Singh |
Rakesh Mohan | 2001 – 2002 | Punjab | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
Shankar Acharya | 1993 – 2001 | Odisha | P. V. Narasimha Rao / H. D. Deve Gowda / I. K. Gujral / Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
Deepak Nayyar | 1989 – 1991 | Uttar Pradesh | V. P. Singh / Chandra Shekhar / P. V. Narasimha Rao |
Nitin Desai | 1988 – 1989 | Maharashtra | Rajiv Gandhi / V. P. Singh |
Bimal Jalan | 1981 – 1988 | West Bengal | Indira Gandhi / Rajiv Gandhi |
R. M. Honavar | 1977 – 1979 | Karnataka | Morarji Desai / Charan Singh |
Manmohan Singh | 1972 – 1976 | Punjab (born in present-day Pakistan Punjab) | Indira Gandhi |
Ashok Mitra | 1970 – 1972 | West Bengal | Indira Gandhi |
V. K. Ramaswamy | 1967 – 1969 | Not Publicly Specified | Indira Gandhi |
I. G. Patel | 1961 – 1967 | Gujarat | Jawaharlal Nehru / Lal Bahadur Shastri / Indira Gandhi |
J. J. Anjaria | 1956 – 1961 | Gujarat | Jawaharlal Nehru |
FAQs on Chief Economic Adviser
- Who is the current Chief Economic Adviser of India?
V. Anantha Nageswaran is the current Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) of India. He took office in January 2022 and advises the government on key economic matters.
- What does the Chief Economic Adviser of India do?
The Chief Economic Adviser provides economic policy advice to the Government of India, supports the Ministry of Finance, and plays a leading role in preparing the annual Economic Survey of India.
- When was the post of Chief Economic Adviser created in India?
The position of Chief Economic Adviser was established in 1956 to strengthen economic policymaking and provide expert analysis to the Finance Ministry.
- Who was the first Chief Economic Adviser of India?
J. J. Anjaria was the first Chief Economic Adviser of India, serving from 1956 to 1961 during the tenure of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
- Is the Chief Economic Adviser a political position?
No, the Chief Economic Adviser is not a political post. It is a professional advisory role typically held by an economist or policy expert appointed by the government.
Prerna Surana is a Finance Content Writer with over three years of experience at Bank Bazaar. She specialises in creating insightful content on Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Taxes, and other BFSI products. Beyond finance, Prerna also writes about non-financial utility products such as Aadhar Card, Voter ID, and Government Certificates.
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