Dr. T.V. Somanathan has been appointed as the new Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India, succeeding Shri Rajiv Gauba following his superannuation. Dr. Somanathan, an IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre (1987 batch), holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Calcutta University. He is also a Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, and Company Secretary, with additional credentials from the Executive Development Program of Harvard Business School.
Throughout his career, Dr. Somanathan has held several significant positions at the central level, including Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. He has also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and as Director of Corporate Affairs at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Prior to his current role, he was the Finance Secretary and Secretary of the Department of Expenditure.
In the Tamil Nadu State Government, Dr. Somanathan has occupied various key roles such as Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., Secretary to the Chief Minister, and Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner of Commercial Taxes during the crucial rollout of GST. He also served as Commissioner of Disciplinary Proceedings. As the founding Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., he played a pivotal role in securing financial closure and initiating the tenders for the Chennai Metro Rail Project.
Dr. Somanathan began his association with the World Bank in 1996 through the Young Professionals Program, initially serving as a Financial Economist in the East Asia & Pacific Regional Vice Presidency. He later became one of the youngest Sector Managers at the Bank when appointed Manager of the Budget Policy Group. From 2011 to 2015, he returned to the World Bank as Director.
A prolific author, Dr. Somanathan has published over 80 papers and articles on economics, finance, and public policy in various journals and newspapers. He is also the author of three books published by McGraw Hill and Cambridge/Oxford University Press.
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