Ajay Seth, 1987-batch IAS officer, designated as new Finance Secretary

Ajay Seth, a senior bureaucrat and 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been designated as the new Finance Secretary. The appointment was confirmed through an official order issued by the Ministry of Personnel on Monday.

Seth currently serves as the Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs. His designation as Finance Secretary follows the elevation of Tuhin Kant Pandey—who previously held the position—to Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved designating Seth as the Finance Secretary,” the order stated.

As per long-standing convention, the senior-most secretary in the Union Finance Ministry is chosen for the role of Finance Secretary. Seth now becomes the top bureaucrat overseeing the ministry’s functioning, a key position as India navigates its post-pandemic economic trajectory.