Surendra Singh
President, ORF-Centre for Politics and Governance
Surendra Singh joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1959 and retired in 1996 as Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India. During a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, he held a number of important positions in the Government of India, i.e. Secretary (Industry) and Secretary (Company Affairs), Special Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office and Special Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce. He handled the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and Secretariat for Industrial Approvals (SIA). He was the Chairman of the High Powered Committee on Independent Power Production, and the Committee on Infrastructure Development.
Earlier in his career, he served the Government of India in Ministries of Industry and Commerce and the Government of U.P. in the Industries and Infrastructure Departments.
He has also served as Advisor to the Government of Tanzania on Trade Promotion and as Economic Counselor in the High Commission of India, London.
After retiring from the IAS, Mr. Singh served as Executive Director on the Board of the World Bank, representing India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. He chaired the important World Bank Committee on Development Effectiveness. He was also a director on the Boards of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
After completing his assignment with the World Bank, Mr. Singh has held positions on the Boards of Directors of various prestigious companies and banks. He chaired a committee set up by the Planning Commission on restructuring of the Institute of Applied Manpower Research. He has been advisor to Government of Maharashtra on international financial institutions. He has also been a member of the Planning Commission Consultative Committees on industry, international economic relations, transport and tourism.
Presently
Mr. Surendra Singh is on the Board of Directors of a number of prestigious private sector companies and banks. He continues to advise Government of India in the capacity of a Member of Government of India Consultative Committees on Industry, International Economic Relations, Energy, Transport and Tourism.