D. R. Mehta
D. R. Mehta | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 25, 1937 Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India |
| Occupation(s) | Civil servant, social worker |
| Known for | Former head of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), founder of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) |
D. R. Mehta (born 25 June 1937) is a former head of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He was honored with the Padma Bhushan, one of India's top civilian distinctions, in recognition of his dedication to social initiatives.
Early life
Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Mehta earned degrees in arts and law from Rajasthan University. His education also includes studies at the Royal Institute of Public Administration, London, and the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Career
Mehta entered the Indian Administrative Service in 1961, undertaking diverse assignments within the Government of Rajasthan and subsequently with the Government of India.
He led SEBI, India's securities market regulator, from 1995 until 2002. During this period, he introduced key reforms that transformed India's capital markets by improving operational efficiency and attracting investment both domestically and internationally.
Prior to this, between 1992 and 1995, he served as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the nation's central banking institution. His earlier appointments included director general of Foreign Trade (1991–1992) at the Ministry of Commerce and additional secretary in the Ministry of Finance (1989–1991), where he concentrated on banking matters.
From 1974 to 1989, with the exception of a five-year tenure at the Ministry of Finance, Mehta held senior administrative roles within Rajasthan’s state government. These included secretary positions overseeing departments such as Industries and Mines, as well as serving as secretary to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
Social work
Throughout his life, D. R. Mehta has been deeply engaged in social service. In 1975, he established the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) in Jaipur, where he continues to serve as a full-time honorary volunteer. Under his stewardship, BMVSS has grown into the largest global organization dedicated to assisting people with disabilities by providing artificial limbs, calipers, and other assistive devices free of cost to over one million individuals.
His commitment to blending social welfare with scientific innovation led to a collaboration between BMVSS and Stanford University, culminating in the development of the Jaipur Knee—a novel knee joint recognized by Time magazine as one of the top 50 inventions in 2009.
Additionally, Mehta is an advocate for animal welfare, supporting shelters and contributing to related publications.
Awards and honours
D. R. Mehta’s contributions have earned him numerous prestigious awards nationally and internationally. In 2008, he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan by India’s President. The TECH Museum Award for Innovation and Its Use for Humanity was bestowed upon him in Silicon Valley in 2007. His accolades also include the Indian for Collective Action Award, Diwali Behan Award presented by the Dalai Lama, CNBC Award for Social Enterprise, Satpal Mittal Award, and the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award in 2012 for fostering communal harmony. He holds a directorship on the Europe/Asia Board at the U.S.-based MIT Sloan School of Management. In recognition of his lifetime achievements, he was honored with the Rajasthan Ratna by the Government of Rajasthan in 2013.
External links
- Indian civil servants
- 1937 births
- Living people
- Rajasthani people
- Indian bankers
- University of Rajasthan alumni
- MIT Sloan School of Management alumni
- People from Jodhpur
- Securities and Exchange Board of India
- Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work
- 20th-century Indian businesspeople
- Businesspeople from Rajasthan