Govt reappoints Anand Mahindra to RBI board, names former Isro chief S Somanath as non-official director

Mumbai: The central government has reappointed Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra as a part-time, non-official director on the Reserve Bank of India’s central board and appointed former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S Somanath to the board. Both appointments are for four years effective August 20, 2026, the RBI said.

Mahindra, who was first nominated to the RBI board in June 2022, will begin another four-year term. He is chairman of the Mahindra Group, whose businesses span automobiles, farm equipment, financial services, information technology, real estate, logistics and hospitality.

His reappointment provides continuity to the board and brings experience across manufacturing, rural markets, technology and financial services.


Somanath is an aerospace engineer who served as secretary of the Department of Space, chairman of the Space Commission and chairman of ISRO from January 2022 to January 2025.

His tenure at the space agency included the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first country to land near the Moon’s south pole. His appointment broadens the technological expertise available to the RBI board as the central bank strengthens its focus on digital payments, resilient financial infrastructure and emerging technology risks.

The central board oversees the affairs and business of the RBI and deliberates on matters ranging from regulation and supervision to currency management, financial stability and the central bank’s accounts. It includes the RBI governor and deputy governors, government nominees and non-official directors drawn from different fields.