Who Is Manmohan Singh? Age, Biography and Wiki
Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932, which makes him 92 years old in 2025. He served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, becoming the first Sikh to hold the position. A renowned economist, Singh played a pivotal role in India's economic liberalization of the 1990s and is widely credited with steering India towards a new era of economic growth and globalization.
| Occupation | Prime Ministers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 26, 1932 |
| Age | 92 Years |
| Birth Place | Gah, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan) |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Date of death | 26 December, 2024 |
| Died Place | New Delhi, India |
Popularity
Manmohan Singh's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While precise details about Manmohan Singh’s height and weight may not be widely documented, he is often characterized as a tall man, with estimates placing him around 5 feet 9 inches tall. His exact weight is not publically available, but it is essential to recognize that physical appearances can vary with age.
Conversely, Time magazine's Asia edition for 10–17 July 2012, on its cover remarked that Singh was an "underachiever". It stated that Singh appears "unwilling to stick his neck out" on reforms that will put the country back onto a growth path. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari rebutted the charges.
UPA ally Lalu Prasad Yadav took issue with the magazine's statements. Praising the government, Prasad said UPA projects [were] doing well and asked, "What will America say as their own economy is shattered?". Additionally, Singh faced negative reception following the 2008 Mumbai attacks for falling short on enhancing national security.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Manmohan Singh has been married to Gursharan Kaur since 1958. Together, they have three daughters: Upinder Singh, Daman Singh, and Amar Singh. Singh’s long-lasting marriage is a testament to his commitment to family values. As of 2025, there are no reports regarding any extramarital relationships, and he is known for his respectful and traditional approach to his personal life.
Singh was initially educated at a local gurdwara, where he began studying Urdu and Punjabi. On 17 April 1937, he was enrolled in the local Government Primary School, where he continued his Urdu-medium education until the age of 10 (Class 4), after which he and his family moved to Peshawar.
There, Singh was enrolled in the upper-primary Khalsa School. He sat for his matriculation examination in the summer of 1947. Even as prime minister years later, Singh wrote his apparently Hindi speeches in the Urdu script, although sometimes he would also use Gurmukhi, a script used to write Punjabi, his mother tongue.
Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Manmohan Singh's net worth is estimated to be around $10 million. This figure accounts for his earnings during his political tenure, investments, and various speaking engagements. While he has consistently emphasized a life of simplicity, his financial standing reflects his extensive background in economics and public service.
In 1991, India's fiscal deficit was close to 8.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, the balance of payments deficit was huge and the current account deficit was close to 3.5 per cent of India's GDP. India's foreign reserves barely amounted to US$1billion, enough to pay for 2 weeks of imports, in comparison to US$600 billion in 2009.
Career, Business and Investments
Before entering politics, Singh had a distinguished career as an economist, serving in various capacities with the Indian government and international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. His career reached its zenith during his tenure as the finance minister, where he initiated economic reforms that led to India's transformation.
Post his premiership, Singh has remained active in academia and policy-making, often speaking on global economic issues. He has also been involved in various charitable endeavors, contributing to societal development projects, especially in education and health sectors.
Born in Gah in what is today Pakistan, Singh's family migrated to India during its partition in 1947. After obtaining his doctorate in economics from the University of Oxford, Singh worked for the United Nations during 1966–1969.
He subsequently began his bureaucratic career when Lalit Narayan Mishra hired him as an advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Singh held several key posts in the Government of India, such as Chief Economic Advisor (1972–1976), governor of the Reserve Bank (1982–1985) and head of the Planning Commission (1985–1987). In 1991, under prime minister, P. V. Narasimha Rao, Singh was appointed as finance minister.
Over the next few years, despite strong opposition, he carried out several structural reforms that liberalised India's economy. It enhanced Singh's reputation globally as a leading reform-minded economist.
Subsequently, Singh was leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India) during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government of 1998–2004.
Social Network
Manmohan Singh maintains a low-profile presence on social media compared to many contemporary politicians. However, he does have an official Twitter account, where he shares insights on economic policies and public welfare issues. Given his stature, news about him often circulates through mainstream media, where he is respected for his contributions to the nation.
In 1972, Singh was chief economic adviser in the Ministry of Finance, and in 1976 he was secretary in the Finance Ministry. In 1980–1982 he was at the Planning Commission, and in 1982, he was appointed governor of the Reserve Bank of India under then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and held the post until 1985.
He went on to become the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission (India) from 1985 to 1987. Following his tenure at the Planning Commission, he was secretary general of the South Commission, an independent economic policy think tank headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland from 1987 to November 1990.
Education
Singh's educational background is impressive, having pursued his undergraduate degree from Punjab University, followed by a DPhil in economics from the University of Oxford. His academic accomplishments laid the groundwork for his significant contributions to India’s economic strategies, reflecting his deep understanding of global economics and finance.
In conclusion, Manmohan Singh continues to be a respected figure in Indian politics and economics as he embraces the year 2025, loved for his integrity, dedication, and visionary leadership that laid the groundwork for modern India's development.
"I first became conscious of the creative role of politics in shaping human affairs, and I owe that mostly to my teachers Joan Robinson and Nicholas Kaldor. Joan Robinson was a brilliant teacher, but she also sought to awaken the inner conscience of her students in a manner that very few others were able to achieve.
She questioned me a great deal and made me think the unthinkable. She propounded the left wing interpretation of Keynes, maintaining that the state has to play more of a role if you really want to combine development with social equity. Kaldor influenced me even more; I found him pragmatic, scintillating, stimulating.
Joan Robinson was a great admirer of what was going on in China, but Kaldor used the Keynesian analysis to demonstrate that capitalism could be made to work."
