Who is Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the new SEBI chairman
28 Feb 2025

The Indian government has appointed former Finance Secretary, Tuhin Kanta Pandey, as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI).

He will replace Madhabi Puri Buch, whose term is ending today.

A 1987-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, Pandey has served in several important positions in the central and state governments during his career.

Pandey's significant contributions as Finance and Revenue Secretary
Career highlights

Pandey's last posting was as the Finance and Revenue Secretary, where he played a key role in restructuring income tax slabs and revising customs duties in the latest budget.

During his short stint as Revenue Secretary, he led the drafting of the new Income Tax Bill.

Before this, Pandey was Secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), where he was instrumental in several major privatization deals.

Pandey's role in India's biggest privatization deals
Privatization achievements

As the Secretary of DIPAM, Pandey played a key role in some of India's biggest privatization deals, including the disinvestment of Air India and the IPO of LIC.

He also served as the head of the DPE and DoPT, both under the Ministry of Finance.

At DIPAM, he oversaw major disinvestment programs to boost government revenues and make public sector enterprises more efficient.

Pandey's extensive career in central and state governments
Diverse roles

Pandey's career spans various roles in the central and state governments.

He has been Joint Secretary in the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog), Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, and Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce.

In Odisha, he headed important departments such as Finance, Health, General Administration, Commercial Taxes, and Transport.

He was also Managing Director of the Odisha Small Industries Corporation and Executive Director of the Odisha State Finance Corporation.

Pandey's educational background and international experience
Education and experience

Pandey holds a Master's degree in Economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and an MBA from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Apart from his long government service, he has also worked with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in its regional office.