Gita Gopinath, Economist
Economist

Gita Gopinath

Born 8 December 1971 · verify

First deputy managing director of the IMF from 2022 to 2025, shaping global economic policy.

Gita Gopinath is an Indian-American economist who is currently serving as the Gregory and Ania Coffey professor of Economics at Harvard University and previously served as the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), from 21 January 2022 to 31 August 2025. Before that she also served as chief economist of the IMF between 2019 and 2022.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Gita Gopinath named the 2020 global recession “the Great Lockdown” during an interview with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show.

The Story

1
🌍 Born in Kolkata in 1971 to a Malayali Nair family from Kannur, Kerala, Gita Gopinath’s early schooling at Nirmala Convent School in Mysore set the stage for an academic trajectory crossing continents.
2
In 2001, she completed a Princeton Ph.D. dissertation under Ben Bernanke and Kenneth Rogoff, titled “Three essays on international capital flows,” which earned her the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Research Award.
3📚 From 2001 to 2005, she was an assistant professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business before moving to Harvard, where she became John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics by 2005.
4🔥 In October 2018, she was appointed chief economist of the IMF, becoming a key voice during the 2020 global recession she famously dubbed “the Great Lockdown.”

🏅 Awards & Honours

2019
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
—
Foreign Honorary Member – American Academy of Arts & Sciences

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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In 2014, the IMF listed Gita Gopinath among the top 25 economists under 45, highlighting her rising influence within a decade of earning her Ph.D.

🖼️

Through the Years

6 photographs from the archives
Gita Gopinath at the World Economic Forum on India as Harvard economics professor (2012).
Gita Gopinath at the World Economic Forum on India as Harvard economics professor (2012).
2012
Gita Gopinath serving as Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (2019).
Gita Gopinath meeting First Minister Humza Yousaf at St Andrew's House, Edinburgh (2023).
Gita Gopinath welcomed by Liechtenstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Risch in Vaduz (2025).
Gita Gopinath, IMF First Deputy Managing Director, official portrait in Vaduz (2025).

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Kolkata, India
Gita Gopinath was born in Kolkata to a Malayali Nair family originating from Kannur, Kerala.
1971
📚
Education
Graduated from Lady Shri Ram College
Received B.A. degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi.
1992
📚
Education
Earned Ph.D. from Princeton University
Completed doctoral dissertation under Ben Bernanke, Kenneth Rogoff, and Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas.
2001
⚡
Career
Joined University of Chicago Booth School
Started as assistant professor of economics, serving until 2005.
2001
⚡
Career
Became Professor at Harvard University
Appointed John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard.
2005
⚡
Career
Appointed IMF Chief Economist
Named chief economist by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
2018
⚡
Career
Became IMF First Deputy Managing Director
Started term as IMF’s second-in-command, serving until August 2025.
2022
🌟
Other
Spoke at World Economic Forum 2023
Highlighted geoeconomic fragmentation and urged EU market integration.
2023
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Her doctoral supervisors at Princeton included Ben Bernanke and Kenneth Rogoff, two economists who later became central figures in global economic policy.

02 / 04
👤PERSONAL

Gopinath’s family is related to A.K. Gopalan, a prominent Indian communist leader, linking her personal history to significant political heritage.

03 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

She advised the Chief Minister of Kerala as an honorary economic adviser, a role unusual for an economist primarily known for international finance.

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"It was pretty powerful. Indeed, it was a statement about the current global economic order and how that has basically ended and that we have to, you know, form new alliances."

— Gita Gopinath

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Gita Gopinath Drops Stunning Figures At Davos, Says Pollution Directly Impacting India's GDP
More from this archive
Gita Gopinath Drops Stunning Figures At Davos, Says Pollution Directly Impacting India's GDP
01
Gita Gopinath Drops Stunning Figures At Davos, Says Pollution Directly Impacting India's GDP
Gita Gopinath: 'Pollution Is More Consequential To India's Economy Than Any Tariffs' | India Today
02
Gita Gopinath: 'Pollution Is More Consequential To India's Economy Than Any Tariffs' | India Today
WATCH: IMF's Gita Gopinath Highlights Shortcomings In Indian Economy | World Economic Forum | Davos
03
WATCH: IMF's Gita Gopinath Highlights Shortcomings In Indian Economy | World Economic Forum | Davos
India will surely replace Japan as 3rd largest economy: Gita Gopinath at World Economic Forum 2026
04
India will surely replace Japan as 3rd largest economy: Gita Gopinath at World Economic Forum 2026
#BTDavos2026 LIVE: Exclusive | Gita Gopinath Breaks Down Global Economy And India’s Path Ahead
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#BTDavos2026 LIVE: Exclusive | Gita Gopinath Breaks Down Global Economy And India’s Path Ahead
"Pollution Bigger Economic Threat To India Than Tariffs”: Gita Gopinath At Davos
06
"Pollution Bigger Economic Threat To India Than Tariffs”: Gita Gopinath At Davos
Former IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath’s warning for rich world economies
07
Former IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath’s warning for rich world economies
Gita Gopinath LIVE At Davos 2026 | Davos Dialogue on Growth, Tariffs, India | N18L | CNBC TV18
08
Gita Gopinath LIVE At Davos 2026 | Davos Dialogue on Growth, Tariffs, India | N18L | CNBC TV18
Gita Gopinath on the Global Economy
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Gita Gopinath on the Global Economy
India On Track To Become Third Largest Economy By 2028: Gita Gopinath From Davos | EXCLUSIVE
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India On Track To Become Third Largest Economy By 2028: Gita Gopinath From Davos | EXCLUSIVE

🌱 What changed because of them

Gita Gopinath’s tenure as IMF chief economist and deputy managing director brought nuanced analysis of international capital flows and global economic fragmentation to the forefront, influencing policy discussions at institutions like the G7 and G20. Her advocacy for multilateral approaches to trade and investment amid geopolitical tensions has shaped how major economies address emerging market vulnerabilities and climate-related financial risks. Furthermore, her advisory role in Kerala illustrates a rare bridge between cutting-edge global economics and regional Indian governance.

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