The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared a reshuffle of 48 senior bureaucrats on Monday, bringing in key allies and experienced administrators across the country's economic and administrative machinery.
The move shows the government's intent to streamline policy execution across trade, finance, and infrastructure.
High-profile shifts include Hardik Satishchandra Shah's transition to private secretary to the prime minister, an important role at the joint secretary level within the PMO. Meanwhile, Jawahar Packirisamy takes the helm of the Marine Products Export Development Authority, a critical post as India eyes more aggressive targets in exports.
The restructuring also targets the department of economic affairs and the National Land Monetization Corporation, placing specialized officers like Sakshi Mittal, Laya Madduri, and Rohan Chand Thakur in roles designed to accelerate asset unlocking and fiscal management.
While Mittal and Madduri have been appointed as joint secretaries in the department of economic affairs, Thakur has been appointed as chief executive officer (joint secretary level) of the National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) under the department of public enterprises.
Among other appointments, Kapil Meena, IAS, has been appointed as managing director, National Horticulture Board, department of agriculture & farmers welfare; G. Venkatesh, lCoAS, as joint secretary, department of chemicals & petrochemicals; and Priyanka Das, IAS, as joint secretary, ministry of civil aviation.
Further, Preeti Meena, IAS, Shailesh Kumar Chourasia, IAS, and Vinod Kumar, IRSME, have been appointed as joint secretaries in the department of defence, while Ajeet Kumar Srivastava, IRAS, has been appointed as additional FA & joint secretary in the same department.
Alaknanda Dayal, IAS, has been appointed as joint secretary, ministry of textiles, while Suvasish Das, IFoS, has been appointed as joint secretary, tourism ministry. Pratima Satish Kumar Verma, IAS, has been appointed as commissioner (JS level), NESTS, and Rashi Sharma, IPoS (2003), has been appointed as executive director (Admin) (JS level), National Mission for Clean Ganga.
Last month, the government appointed senior Indian Administrative Service officer Vir Vikram Yadav as the new chief of the country's aviation regulator, amid recent flight disruptions linked to the implementation of new pilot rest norms.
Yadav replaces Faiz Ahmed Kidwai as director general of the directorate general of civil aviation, who has been transferred to the department of personnel and training under the Prime Minister's Office. Both officers will assume the rank of additional secretary. The government moved Chanchal Kumar, secretary at the ministry of development of North Eastern region (MDoNER), to the ministry of information and broadcasting. Sanjay Jaju will take over as the new MDoNER secretary.