Rajesh Agrawal, a 1994-batch IAS officer from the Manipur cadre, on Wednesday took over as the country’s new commerce secretary. He succeeds Sunil Barthwal, who retired on Tuesday.
Agrawal has been with the commerce ministry since December 2022 and is currently leading India’s negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade deal with the United States.
Who is Rajesh Agrawal?
With nearly three decades of administrative experience, Agrawal has worked extensively in policy formulation and implementation across sectors such as skilling, human resource development, power, fertilizers, agriculture, and MSMEs.
He has also been credited with shaping India’s skill development policies and represented the country at the World Skills Governing Council for three years.
A graduate in Statistics and a postgraduate in Operations Research from Delhi University, Agrawal also holds an Executive Post-Graduate Diploma in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).
He has previously driven major reforms in states including Manipur, Jharkhand, and Bihar.
The commerce ministry highlighted his expertise and said his leadership comes at a significant juncture as India pushes forward with trade negotiations and seeks to strengthen its global economic partnerships.
