Raghuram Rajan

Raghuram Rajan is a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He gained global recognition in 2005 when, as IMF Chief Economist, he presented a paper at the Jackson Hole conference arguing that financial innovation had created dangerous incentive structures that could lead to catastrophic failure — a warning that was largely dismissed at the time but proved prescient in 2008. He wrote "Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy" analyzing global imbalances. He served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 2013 to 2016, implementing reforms to address inflation and banking system non-performing loans. He is considered one of the more intellectually diverse economists, combining academic rigor with practical policy experience. His career uniquely spans academic finance theory, multilateral policymaking, and central bank governance across major emerging market institutions.