List of Chief Economic Advisors of India Till Today, Check the Complete List

The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) is one of the most important economic experts in the Government of India. This official helps the government understand the country’s economic situation and gives advice on major financial matters. The CEA plays a key role in shaping economic thinking and preparing important reports that guide policy decisions. Though the post has no direct executive power, its influence is widely felt in economic planning.

Who is the Chief Economic Adviser?

The Chief Economic Adviser is a senior official in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The CEA holds the rank of a Secretary to the Government of India and works under the Department of Economic Affairs. The adviser is also the head of the Economic Division and controls the Indian Economic Service as its cadre authority.

List of Chief Economic Advisor of India

The Chief Economic Adviser of India is an important expert who guides the government on economic matters. Since independence, many respected economists have held this post and helped shape India’s economic policies.

Here is the complete list of Chief Economic Advisor of India:

S. No.	Name	Tenure
		From	To
1.	JJ Anjaria	1956	1961
2.	IG Patel	1961	1964
		1964	1966
3.	V. K. Ramaswamy	1967	1969
4.	Ashok Mitra	1970	1972
5.	Manmohan Singh	1972	1976
6.	R. M. Honavar	1977	1979
7.	Bimal Jalan	1981	1984
		1984	1988
8.	Nitin Desai	1988	1988
		1988	1989
9.	Deepak Nayyar	1989	1990
		1990	1991
		1991	1991
10.	Shankar Acharya	1993	1996
		1996	1997
		1997	1998
		1998	2001
11.	Rakesh Mohan	2001	2002
12.	Ashok K Lahiri	2002	2004
		2004	2007
13.	Arvind Virmani	2007	2009
14.	Kaushik Basu	2009	2012
15.	Raghuram Rajan	10 August 2012	4 September 2013
16.	Arvind Subramanian	16 October 2014	20 June 2018
17.	Krishnamurthy Subramanian	7 December 2018	7 December 2021
18.	V Anantha Nageswaran	21 January 2022	Incumbent

Appointment and Background of Chief Economic Advisor of India

Before 2009, the post of CEA was filled through the Union Public Service Commission. Earlier, most Chief Economic Advisers came from the Indian Economic Service. Over time, the position has become more open, with economists from academic and international backgrounds also being appointed.

Main Duties of the CEA

• Prepares and presents the Economic Survey of India before the Union Budget
• Heads the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs
• Provides analysis on growth, inflation, employment, trade, and fiscal policy
• Acts as the cadre-controlling authority of the Indian Economic Service
• Supports policy planning through research, data analysis, and expert opinion

Nature of the Role of CEA

The role of the CEA is advisory in nature. This means the adviser does not take final decisions or run departments. How much the government follows the advice depends on the situation and leadership. Former CEA Arvind Subramanian explained that the job mainly involves analysis, ideas, and the Economic Survey, not executive authority.