Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian politician and a Member of Parliament for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, since 1986. She is the current Finance Minister of India, having been appointed to the position in 2019. Prior to this, she has also served as the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Corporate Affairs. She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in India.

Brief bio:

Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli and later earned a postgraduate degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. After completing her education, she worked as a senior manager in the research and analysis wing of Price Waterhouse, a leading consulting firm.

In 2008, Sitharaman was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, representing the state of Andhra Pradesh. She served as a member of various parliamentary committees, including the Standing Committee on Commerce, the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence, and the Select Committee on the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill.

In 2014, she was appointed as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry in the Government of India, and in 2017 she was appointed as the Minister of Defence, becoming the second woman to hold the position after Indira Gandhi. Since 2019, she is appointed as the Minister of finance and Corporate Affairs in government of India.

Sitharaman is known for her strong pro-market views and her advocacy for economic reforms. As a Minister of Commerce and Industry and Defence, she took various steps for the growth of the economy and for the betterment of defence and manufacturing sector. Her role in current position is also instrumental to tackle the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Nirmala Sitharaman is married to Dr. Parakala Prabhakar, a former member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and a communications advisor to the government. He is also a well-known economist, journalist, and media commentator. The couple have a daughter together.

Sitharaman comes from a middle-class family and hails from Tamil Nadu. She is the daughter of Narayanan Sitharaman, who was a senior officer in the Indian Railways, and her mother was a homemaker. She is the youngest of three siblings, with an elder brother and an elder sister. Sitharaman has been reported as being raised in a traditional, conservative Hindu household and she is reported to have been a very studious child from an early age.

Sitharaman has spoken publicly about her upbringing and how it influenced her views on politics and public service. She has often spoken about how her parents instilled in her a strong sense of responsibility and duty towards her community and country. She has also spoken about how her father's work in the Indian Railways gave her a firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by people from diverse backgrounds and regions of India.

Sitharaman's husband, Dr. Parakala Prabhakar, is a well-known economist, journalist, and media commentator. He has held several positions in the government and has served as a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He is also known for his work in the field of communications and for his expertise on economic policy. He is a frequent commentator on economic and political issues in the media and is considered to be an important intellectual voice within the BJP.

Together, Sitharaman and her husband have a daughter and they both have been known to have a supportive relationship, and have been seen working together in various fields. Sitharaman and her husband are often seen together in public events and it is reported that they have a close-knit family and often spend time together.

Political Carrer:

Sitharaman's political career began in the early 2000s, when she became active in the BJP. She served as the national spokesperson for the party and was a member of its national executive council. She has also been a member of several think tanks and policy research groups, including the India Foundation, the Vivekananda International Foundation, and the Tamil Nadu Heritage Trust.

As Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sitharaman implemented several policy measures to boost exports, including the launch of the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme and the creation of a National Technical Textiles Mission. She also worked to improve the ease of doing business in India and to attract foreign investment.

As the Minister of Defence, Sitharaman played a key role in the implementation of the "Make in India" initiative in the defence sector. She also focused on modernizing the armed forces and strengthening the defense manufacturing sector in India. She has also been instrumental in the ongoing negotiation for the French Rafale fighter jets deal and indigenous production of key defense equipment.

As Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Sitharaman has taken several steps to revive the Indian economy post the COVID-19 pandemic. She has announced several economic stimulus packages, including measures to support small businesses and the agriculture sector. She has also been working on structural reforms, such as the privatization of public sector companies and the simplification of the tax system.

Nirmala Sitharaman has proven her leadership skills and capabilities in various domains and portfolios she handled. She is known for her strong economic acumen and decisive leadership in handling various challenges faced by the economy and the country.