19 Facts About Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman is a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, representing Karnataka since 2016 and previously represented Andhra Pradesh from 2014 to 2016.

Nirmala Sitharaman served as junior minister in the Modi ministry between 2014 and 2017, holding successive positions, first for her dual appointment as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs from May to November 2014, and then as the Minister of State for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry from May 2014 to September 2017, before being elevated to senior posts within the Union Cabinet.

Nirmala Sitharaman featured in the Forbes 2022 list of World's 100 most powerful women and was ranked 36.

Nirmala Sitharaman was born in a Tamil Iyengar family in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, to Savitri and Narayanan Sitharaman.

Nirmala Sitharaman had her schooling at Sacred Heart Convent Anglo-Indian School, Villupuram, till primary level and thereafter at Vidyodaya School in Chennai.

Nirmala Sitharaman then studied at St Philomena's School and at Holy Cross School in Tiruchirappalli.

Nirmala Sitharaman served as a member of the National Commission for Women from 2003 to 2005.

Nirmala Sitharaman was a national spokesperson of the party till 2014.

Nirmala Sitharaman has served as the Defence Minister of India and headed the Balakot Air Strike carried out by the Indian Air Force in 2019.

Nirmala Sitharaman is currently serving as the Minister of Finance and Corporate affairs of India and has presented five annual budgets of India.

On 31 May 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as the finance and corporate affairs minister.

Nirmala Sitharaman presented her maiden budget in the Indian parliament on 5 July 2019.

Nirmala Sitharaman became the first minister to present the budget in the New Parliament building of India.

Nirmala Sitharaman was given the same cabinet posts after the Indian general election in June 2024.

Nirmala Sitharaman worked as a salesperson at Habitat, a home decor store in London's Regent Street.

Nirmala Sitharaman has served as an assistant to Economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association in the UK.

Nirmala Sitharaman has served as a member of National Commission for Women.

In 2023, ranked at number 32, Nirmala Sitharaman has made it to the list of Forbes Magazine's 100 most powerful women in the world for the fifth time in a row.

Nirmala Sitharaman met her husband, economist and commentator Parakala Prabhakar, who is from Narsapuram, Andhra Pradesh, while studying at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.