P. Chidambaram (Tamil: ப. சிதம்பரம்) or Palaniappan Chidambaram is an Indian politician. He is the present Finance Minister of India, in the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He has been on the portfolio since May 2004, when the UPA formed the government.

He was also a cabinet minister with the same portfolio for a brief period in the United Front coalition government from 1996 to 1998 and Prior to this, he had been Minister of State (Deputy Minister) in the Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao led Congress-party governments, holding other portfolios.
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