India – born Gita Gopinath has been appointed chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), becoming the first woman to hold the position.
According to an official statement, ‘Gita is one of the world’s outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, and extensive international experience. All this makes her exceptionally well-placed to lead our research department at this important juncture. She will take over from Maurice Obstfeld, who retires in December. The 46-year-old will be the second Indian to take up the position at the Washington DC-based IMF, after Raghuram Rajan (2003-06), the former Reserve Bank of India governor.
