Amardeep Singh Bhatia Takes Charge As DPIIT Secretary

New Delhi, Aug 22 (KNN) In a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, Amardeep Singh Bhatia, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), according to an official statement released on Wednesday.

Bhatia, a 1993 batch IAS officer from the Nagaland cadre, succeeds Rajesh Kumar Singh, who has been reassigned as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Defence.

Prior to this appointment, Bhatia served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, where he played a crucial role in shaping trade policies and negotiating free trade agreements.

His extensive experience in central government includes key positions in the Ministries of Corporate Affairs and Health and Family Welfare.

At the state level, Bhatia has overseen various departments, including Planning and Coordination, Health and Family Welfare, Environment and Forest, Municipalities and Local Self Government, and Home Affairs.

The DPIIT, operating under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is responsible for overseeing foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, promoting start-ups, improving ease of doing business, fostering internal trade, and regulating the rapidly expanding e-commerce sector.

Bhatia assumes his new role at a challenging time, as India's FDI inflows witnessed a 3.49 per cent decline to USD 44.42 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year, attributed to global economic uncertainties.

The department is currently focused on streamlining FDI procedures to stimulate foreign investment in the country.

(KNN Bureau)