Ajay Seth, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre and the current Economic Affairs Secretary, has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of Secretary, Department of Revenue. This transition comes as Sanjay Malhotra, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, assumes the role of Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Malhotra previously served as Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.
Seth, who has held the position of Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) since April 2021, brings a robust academic and professional background to his expanded role. A graduate in mechanical engineering with a B.Tech and an MBA, Seth has over three decades of expertise in public finance and social sector administration. His career spans critical areas, including budget management, tax policy, foreign investments, financial cooperation, development financing, and public-private partnerships.
The DEA plays a pivotal role in shaping India’s macroeconomic policies, managing public finances, regulating capital markets, and overseeing initiatives such as climate change financing and external aid coordination. It also manages the release of central tax shares to states, supports the Finance Commission, and oversees non-tax revenue estimates.
The Department of Revenue handles tax administration, encompassing direct taxes like income tax and indirect taxes such as GST and customs. It is also tasked with investigating economic offences and supervising central tax administration, making it a cornerstone of India’s fiscal governance.
