Monday, October 22, 2024

Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister of India

Moderator:
Arvind Krishna
Chair & CEO, IBM
Vice Chair, ECNY

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman is the current Finance Minister of India, a position she has held since 2019. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics and an M.Phil from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Prior to her role as Finance Minister, she served as Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs and as Minister of Commerce and Industry, where she played a pivotal role in shaping India’s trade negotiations and economic reforms. From 2017 to 2019, she also served as the Minister of Defense.

Elected to the Rajya Sabha, Smt. Sitharaman has been instrumental in steering India’s financial and trade policies. She has represented India at major global platforms such as the G20, BRICS, and WTO, addressing crucial matters including global trade, climate change, and financial stability. Her leadership has been particularly commendable during India's G20 Presidency and for guiding the Indian economy through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This period saw her spearheading critical reforms in taxation, banking, and economic governance.