Pradeep Kumar is new secretary, defence production

New Delhi: As part of the promotions of 27 senior Indian Administrative Service officers to various senior positions within the Government of India, the central government also announced the appointment of Pradeep Kumar as secretary (defence production) in the ministry of defence.

Kumar belongs to the 1972 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and is a Haryana cadre officer. A graduate in electrical engineering from IIT Delhi, he holds a master's degree in economics and social studies from the University of Wales, UK.

Kumar has rich and wide experience in the field of public administration and has held many senior positions in the Haryana government and with the Government of India.

He has worked as director of industries, and as principal secretary in the departments of power, irrigation, science and technology, town and country planning and urban estates departments in the Haryana government.

He has also worked as joint secretary in the department of heavy industry, additional secretary in the coal ministry, chairman of the National Highways Authority of India, and secretary (disinvestments) in the finance ministry.

Kumar has also served on the boards of a number of leading state-owned companies, including Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Maruti Udyog Ltd., Andrew Yule Ltd., Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd., Coal India Ltd. and Nyvelli Lignite Corporation Ltd.