Rajesh Kumar Singh, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1989 batch from the Kerala cadre, has been appointed as India’s Defence Secretary. Prior to this, he served as the Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. His tenure as the Secretary of the Department of Defence has been extended beyond the standard retirement age until October 31, 2026.
India’s current Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, was born on November 24, 1964. A native of Bihar, Rajesh Kumar Singh is an IAS officer of the 1989 batch from the Kerala cadre. Rajesh Kumar Singh assumed charge as the Defence Secretary on November 1, 2024, at the South Block in New Delhi. Notably, he succeeded Giridhar Aramane, an IAS officer of the 1988 batch from the Andhra Pradesh cadre. Rajesh Kumar Singh previously served as the Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade within the Ministry of Commerce and Industry from April 24, 2023, to August 20, 2024.
Prior to this, he served as the Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Dairying within the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying. Under the Central Government, R.K. Singh has held several significant positions, including Director of Construction and Urban Transport in the Ministry of Urban Development; Commissioner in the Delhi Development Authority (DDA); Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers Welfare; and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) in the Food Corporation of India (FCI).