Dr. T.V. Somanathan today took over as the new Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India following the retirement of Shri Rajiv Gauba. Dr. Somanathan is an IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre (1987 batch). He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Calcutta. He has also completed the Executive Development Programme from Harvard Business School, and is a qualified Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant and Company Secretary.
Dr. Somanathan has earlier held important positions at the Centre as Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office. He also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He was also deputed as Director of Corporate Affairs at the World Bank in Washington DC. Before taking over as Cabinet Secretary, he was holding the charge of Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Expenditure.
In the Tamil Nadu State Government, Dr. Somanathan held several key positions such as Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Limited, Secretary to the Chief Minister and Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Commercial Taxes during the crucial phase of implementation of GST. He also served as Commissioner, Disciplinary Proceedings. As the founding Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Corporation Limited, he was responsible for achieving financial closure and awarding initial tenders for implementing the Chennai Metro Rail Project.
Dr. Somanathan joined the World Bank in 1996 as a financial economist through the Young Professionals Program in Washington as the East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice President. He became one of the Bank's youngest sector managers when he was appointed Manager of the Budget Policy Group. He served as a Director at the World Bank from 2011 to 2015.
Dr. Somanathan has published over 80 papers and articles in journals and newspapers on economics, finance and public policy, and is the author of three books published by McGraw Hill, Cambridge/Oxford University Press.