Dr. T.V. Somanathan takes over as Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India today, after the superannuation of Shri Rajiv Gaub. Dr. Somanathan is an IAS officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre (1987 batch). He has a Ph.D. in economics from Calcutta University. Furthermore, he has completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Development Program, making him a fully qualified cost Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant and Company Secretary.
Dr. Somanathan has held significant assignments in the Center, including Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. Furthermore, he was appointed as Director of Corporate Affairs at the World Bank in Washington, DC, and held the post of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He served as Finance Secretary and Secretary of the Department of Expenditure before stepping in as Cabinet Secretary.
He had several important roles in the Tamil Nadu State Government, including Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., Secretary to the Chief Minister and Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner of Commercial Taxes during the crucial time of the introduction of the GST. He also served as Commissioner, Disciplinary Proceedings. As the founder and Managing Director of Metro Rail Corporation Limited in Chennai, he was in charge of securing financial closure and awarding the initial tenders for the Chennai Metro Rail Project.
