D Thara IAS appointed as Secretary- Department of Capital Development
Ms. D Thara IAS (Gujarat 1996), presently Additional Secretary- Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, has been appointed as Secretary- Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
Ms. D. Thara, IAS, is a senior civil servant with a distinguished career spanning more than two decades across urban development, municipal administration, industrial promotion, commercial taxation and district governance. Her professional journey reflects a strong combination of field administration and policy experience at the state and central levels, with particular expertise in urban governance and the development of public institutions.
She has been serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, since December 2021. In this role, she has been associated with important responsibilities relating to urban development and urban housing at the national level. Prior to her elevation as Additional Secretary, she served as Joint Secretary in the same Ministry from July 2019 to December 2021. Her long tenure in the Ministry has provided her with significant exposure to the formulation and implementation of policies concerning India’s rapidly evolving urban landscape.
Before joining the Central Government, Ms. Thara held several important positions in the Government of Gujarat. She served as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation in Gandhinagar from June 2016 to July 2019. The assignment placed her at the centre of industrial development and investment promotion in the state and involved the administration of a major institution responsible for supporting industrial infrastructure and growth.
Earlier, she served as Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation in Ahmedabad from October 2014 to June 2016. This was a significant field assignment involving urban administration, municipal services and civic governance in one of Gujarat’s largest cities. Before this, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority from September 2012 to October 2014, gaining extensive experience in urban planning, development authority administration and city-level infrastructure development.
Her earlier responsibilities included serving as Special Commissioner in the Commercial Taxes Department in Ahmedabad. The assignment gave her experience in finance and commercial taxation administration. She also served as Managing Director of the Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Limited, where she was associated with the administration and development of the agro-industrial sector.
Ms. Thara has had a long association with municipal administration. She served as Director in the Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad and earlier as Deputy Municipal Commissioner. These assignments provided her with a detailed understanding of the functioning of urban local bodies, municipal administration and the delivery of civic services.
Her career has also included extensive field-level administrative experience. She served as District Collector of Ahmedabad and District Collector of Kheda. As District Collector, she was responsible for district administration, land and revenue matters, coordination of development programmes and the delivery of public services. These assignments provided her with valuable experience in managing complex administrative systems and responding to the diverse needs of large populations.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Thara served as District Development Officer in Surendranagar, Vadodara and Kachchha. These positions involved the implementation of development programmes and coordination of district-level administration. She also served as Deputy Secretary in the General Administration Department, handling responsibilities related to personnel and general administration.
Her academic background is rooted in the sciences. She completed her graduation in Zoology with First Division and subsequently pursued postgraduate studies in Biotechnology. Her scientific education has provided her with a strong analytical foundation, which has complemented her career in administration, urban planning, industrial development and public policy.
Ms. D. Thara’s career stands out for its consistent focus on development-oriented administration. From her early field assignments as Assistant Collector and District Development Officer to senior leadership positions in urban development and industrial promotion, she has worked across multiple dimensions of governance. Her extensive experience in municipal administration, urban housing, industrial infrastructure and district governance has made her a versatile administrator with a strong understanding of both policy and implementation.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Ms. D Thara the very best.