Dr Ysp Thorat

Biography

Dr YSP Thorat, who retired as chairman of the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in November 2007, was till recently the executive chairman of the Dryland Farming Commission and chairman of the Agriculture Universities Recruitment Board, Government of Maharashtra. Dr Thorat is currently an adjunct professor at the Yashwantrao Chavan School of Rural Development, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, and the secretary general of PIRENS. He is also the director of Rallis India and Ambit Capital, and the vice chairman of Star Agriwarehousing and Collateral Management, among others.   Dr Thorat started his career with the Reserve Bank of India in 1972 and was appointed its executive director in 2003. His major contribution has been in the field of policy support for agriculture finance, supervision and export credit. In 2004, he was appointed as managing director, NABARD, and elevated a year later to chairman.   He has been associated with the Planning Commission, Government of India, for the 10th and 11th five year plans, and was the chief executive of the Rajiv Gandhi Trust, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi. He has served on the governing board of National Institute of Bank Management, Pune; was chairman of the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange, Mumbai, and the chairman of the Indian Society of Agriculture Economics. On the academic side he was a member of the senate and academic council, Shivaji University, Kolhapur; member, governing board, Institute of Rural Management, and strategic advisor to MicroSave (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).   A university rank holder in political science, Dr Thorat has a degree in law, a doctorate in economics and is a D.Lit. He is a recipient of the prestigious Gopal Krishna Gokhale Award.

Research Interest

CA