Who is Sanjeev Sanyal? The economist who could be West Bengal’s finance minister

Economist, author and one of the Narendra Modi government’s most recognisable policy voices, Sanjeev Sanyal is emerging as a strong contender for the finance portfolio in a BJP-led West Bengal government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. 

The speculation has intensified amid questions over who will steer Bengal’s economy at a time of rising debt, weak industrial growth and mounting pressure on jobs. 

Cryptic post that fuelled speculation 

“The Dark One, Goddess of Time, turns the Wheel of Epochs, slows but surely,” Sanyal posted on May 4 — the day the BJP scripted a historic victory in Bengal. 

The cryptic message quickly sparked political buzz. Many saw it as a comment on Bengal’s changing political landscape. Others viewed it as a hint at Sanyal’s own possible entry into the state’s power structure. 

What many outside policy circles often overlook is that Sanyal himself is a Bengali with deep intellectual and emotional ties to Kolkata and eastern India. 

Why the finance ministry matters 

So far, only five ministers have taken oath alongside Suvendu Adhikari, with several heavyweight portfolios — including finance — temporarily remaining with the Chief Minister. 

Along with finance, Suvendu is overseeing home, education, health, industry and commerce. The arrangement underlines a larger challenge for the BJP government: despite its political breakthrough, the party lacks a legislator with nationally recognised economic expertise. 

Amid this backdrop, Sanyal — currently a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM) — has emerged as the frontrunner for the finance ministry, according to multiple reports. 

From Kolkata to Oxford 

Born in Kolkata in 1970, Sanyal studied at St. Xavier’s School and St. James’ School before moving to Delhi and later studying economics at Oxford University. 

Before entering government, he spent years in the financial sector, including as Managing Director and Global Strategist at Deutsche Bank. 

Over time, he built a reputation as a market economist with strong views on public policy, urbanisation, history and India’s long-term economic evolution. 

Rise in the Modi government 

Sanyal joined the Union government in 2017 as Principal Economic Adviser in the Finance Ministry. Between 2017 and 2022, he played a key role in shaping multiple editions of the Economic Survey. 

In 2022, he was appointed a full-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. 

He has also represented India at forums linked to the G20, G7 and OECD, making him one of the government’s more internationally visible economic advisers. 

Technocrat route the BJP has used before 

The BJP is no stranger to bringing technocrats into top political roles. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, a former foreign secretary, and Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, a former diplomat, are among the most prominent examples of bureaucrats transitioning into key ministerial positions. 

That precedent has strengthened speculation that the BJP leadership may be considering a similar role for Sanyal in Bengal. 

The symbolism around his appearance 

Political observers took note of Sanyal’s presence at Suvendu Adhikari’s swearing-in ceremony, where he appeared in a traditional Bengali dhoti-kurta. 

Accompanying him was his wife, Smita Barooah, who is believed to have played a role in helping the BJP expand outreach among women voters during the campaign. “Witnessed history,” Sanyal later posted on social media. 

For many in Bengal’s political circles, the optics added momentum to rumours about his possible political elevation. 

“Kolkata didn’t die, it was murdered” 

Since the election results, Sanyal has sharply increased his public commentary on Bengal’s economy. 

Through interviews and opinion pieces, he has argued that Bengal’s stagnation is not inevitable and that the state needs structural reforms, industrial revival and urban renewal to reclaim its economic position. 

Few public intellectuals have spoken as bluntly about Kolkata’s decline as Sanyal. In one televised interview, he remarked: “Kolkata didn’t die, it was murdered, and I am a witness.” 

The comment resonated strongly with many Bengalis who have long debated the city’s industrial decline, capital flight and shrinking national influence. 

Sanyal has repeatedly argued that eastern India’s revival is tied to Kolkata’s resurgence — not just as a cultural capital, but as a centre of manufacturing, finance and innovation. 

More than an economist 

Beyond economics, Sanyal is also a widely read author and public intellectual. He has written extensively on Indian history, geography, civilisation and urban development. 

He is highly active on social media and frequently comments on governance, demographics, education and economic policy. 

Politics is also not entirely new to his family. Revolutionary freedom fighter Sachindra Nath Sanyal was his granduncle, while another relative, Nalinaksha Sanyal, was associated with Bengal’s legislative politics during the pre-Independence era. 

Whether Sanyal formally enters politics or not, the speculation around him reflects a broader shift in Indian politics — where economists, bureaucrats and policy specialists are increasingly being viewed as potential administrators, not just advisers.