Ministry of Finance appoints Anuradha Thakur as Alternate Governor on Board of Governors for AfDB [Read Notification]

According to the Gazette notification dated August 5, 2025, Thakur will assume the role with effect from July 14, 2025, succeeding Shri Ajay Seth. The appointment was issued under the authority of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

The African Development Bank, headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, is a premier pan-African development institution focused on fostering economic growth and reducing poverty across the continent. India, a non-regional member, has been a key development partner of the AfDB and participates in its decision making through representation on the Board of Governors.

With her appointment, Ms. Thakur will play a significant role in shaping India’s engagement with the AfDB, strengthening cooperation in areas of infrastructure development, trade, and financial inclusion across Africa.

Anuradha Thakur, a 1994 batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has built a reputation as one of the government’s most effective administrators in finance and corporate governance. Born in Bihar, she holds a postgraduate degree in psychology and has completed a certificate course in development economics from the London School of Economics, which gave her an early grounding in public policy and economic affairs.

Her career in the Union government began with senior roles in the Cabinet Secretariat, where she served as Joint Secretary and later Additional Secretary between May 2020 and June 2022, overseeing key personnel and administrative functions. In July 2022, she moved to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) as Additional Secretary and simultaneously held charge as Director of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). At SFIO, she strengthened enforcement mechanisms, filled long pending vacancies, and accelerated fraud investigations. Between FY 2020 and FY 2024, the office registered 72 case referrals, filed 69 complaints, and imposed penalties in over 100 cases, including several that resulted in imprisonment.

Thakur also spearheaded the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, launched in October 2024, which targeted one crore paid internships over five years to bridge the gap between academia and industry. Earlier, at the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), she played pivotal roles in the disinvestment of Air India to the Tata Group in January 2022, the launch of the Bharat Bond ETF that mobilised ₹12,400 crore in its maiden issue, and the development of the government’s asset monetisation framework.

On April 18, 2025, she was appointed Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), and on July 1, 2025, she became the first woman to lead the DEA as Secretary. By virtue of this post, she now represents India on the boards of SEBI and the Reserve Bank of India, and was formally inducted into the RBI Central Board on July 24, 2025.

The notification was signed by Ms. Manisha Sinha, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.

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