Experience at the UN taught me to challenge status quo, says RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra

Reserve Bank of India governor Sanjay Malhotra has said his experience at the United Nations taught him to challenge status quo, a lesson that helped him streamline government systems during his administrative career.

Speaking at the 58th convocation of IIT Kanpur, Malhotra-an alumnus of the institute - outlined four key learnings from his professional journey thus far: continuous learning, questioning status quo, pursuing one's karma without fear, and building trust.

Quoting Albert Einstein, Malhotra asked students to never stop questioning. "When you question status quo and ask questions, you open the door to new ideas and fresh perspectives. It is fuel for innovation; it drives you to explore, experiment, and create something better. So, no matter where you are in life or your career, never stop questioning status quo and improving,"he said.

Between 2003 and 2006, while working at UN on a project to improve productivity in India's hand tool manufacturing clusters, Malhotra saw how small interventions could trigger systemic change.

A total quality management expert involved in the initiative had asked forging units to reduce the time taken to change a die from eight hours to less than one. The suggestion was met with scepticism. Eventually, the introduction of a simple video recording of the process helped identify inefficiencies - late starts, unplanned breaks, and lack of preparation. Malhotra said he carried this mindset into his roles in taxation, power, banking, and finance. "It helped in making changes in laws, rules, and procedures, for the benefit of citizens and the government alike."

(With TOI inputs)