Nairobi club proud that member's son to be RBI governor

AHMEDABAD: The Premiere Club in Nairobi, Kenya, is rejoicing over the appointment of Urjit Patel as the next governor of Reserve Bank of India. Elders of the club, a majority of them leading Patel businessmen, are ecstatic over how a son of a regular club member -Ravindra Patel, who owned a chemical business in Kenya -will soon head India's central bank.

“Ravindra and his wife Manjula ran a chemical factory named Rexo Products in Nairobi. It feels great to know that his son Urjit, who sometimes came for morning walks with his father at the club, has been appointed RBI governor,“ said Umakant Patel, president of Premiere.

Parimal Desai, a former president of the club who has since relocated to Anand in Gujarat, said, “Urjit has studied in Visa Oshwal Primary School and later in Jamhuri High School in Nairobi. Urjit has roots in Mahudha village in Kheda (in central Gujarat) from where his grandfather first migrated to Kenya,“ said Desai.

Urjit's ancestral home in Mahudha is next to the Ma Amba temple. Incidentally, the first Gujarati RBI governor I G Patel belonged to Karamsad in neighbouring Anand district, some 40 kms from Urjit's village.

IG Patel's wife Alaknanda said that Urjit, although much younger, has been a special friend of the family for 20 years. “Economics introduced us to each other. We like him a lot. He is very bright, knowledgeable and has wide experience,“ said Alaknanda.

Jagdish Patel, a second cousin of Urjit Patel who lives in Mahudha, said that Urjit had last visited the town, albeit briefly, in 2013. “I had called him to include his name in the family property after the death of his father,“ said Jagdish. He added that the family has four bighas of land in the village.

Mohan Patel, secretary of the Gujarat Economic Association, counts himself among the RBI governor-designate's friends, having known him for the past eight years. “He is a simple, sober and dedicated economist. He will help the country combat inflation much better,“ Patel said.

Alaknanda said that during his visits to their home, the discussions revolved around a variety of topics and not just economics. “Like with any friend, we would discuss food and travel, among other things. Urjit is perfect for the RBI governor's post as he has worked with some of the biggest thinktanks and institutions in the world.“

While the community is celebrating Patel's appointment, the new governor -being single -is a bit of a loner. He lives in south Mumbai with his octogenarian mother and spends most of his spare time reading.

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