SUMMARY
The government has appointed former Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He will take over from Madhabi Puri Buch, whose tenure is ending. Here’s all we know about the new SEBI chief.
1 / 8Tuhin Pandey is a 1987-batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre. He has held several top positions in the central and state governments. He recently served as Finance and Revenue Secretary, where he played a key role in overhauling income tax slabs and revising customs duties in the latest budget. Commenting on the new appointment, he said, “Got the order yesterday only. The government has given me this responsibility. Not sure of the exact date of joining. Can’t comment on anything right now. Let me join first and then I can comment.”
2 / 8In his short tenure as Revenue Secretary, Pandey also led the drafting of the new Income Tax Bill. He took charge of the Revenue Department on January 9, 2025.
3 / 8Before becoming Revenue Secretary, Pandey served as the Secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). He was instrumental in some of the biggest privatisation deals in India’s history, including the disinvestment of Air India and the initial public offering (IPO) of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
4 / 8He also held leadership positions in the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Both DIPAM and DPE function under the Ministry of Finance.
5 / 8During his tenure in DIPAM, Pandey oversaw key disinvestment programs aimed at increasing government revenues and improving the efficiency of public sector enterprises. He was the longest-serving DIPAM Secretary, leading major reforms in India’s asset monetisation strategy.
6 / 8Pandey’s career spans multiple roles in both the central and state governments. He has served as: Joint Secretary in the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog), Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat and Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce.
7 / 8In Odisha, he led key departments, including Finance, Health, General Administration, Commercial Taxes, and Transport. He also served as the Managing Director of the Odisha Small Industries Corporation and Executive Director of the Odisha State Finance Corporation.
8 / 8Pandey holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He later earned an MBA from the University of Birmingham, UK. He also worked with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in its regional office.
