Rajesh Pandey IAS appointed as Chairman- Damodar Valley Corporation
Shri Rajesh Pandey IAS (West Bengal 1995) presently posted as Additional Chief Secretary- Youth Services and Sports Department with additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary- Co-operation Department has been appointed as Chairman- Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, on deputation, for a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or till he attains the age of superannuation.
IAS Rajesh Pandey | A Distinguished Administrative Career Spanning Industry, Energy, Elections and District Governance
Shri Rajesh Pandey, an IAS officer of the 1995 batch of the West Bengal cadre, has taken charge as the 51st Chairman of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) on 23 July 2026. With a career spanning around three decades in public administration, he brings to the organisation extensive experience in industrial development, power and energy, textiles, MSMEs, rural development, elections, district administration and public policy.
Mr. Pandey has held several important assignments in the Government of West Bengal and has served in both field and senior policy positions. Prior to joining DVC, he served as Additional Chief Secretary for the Departments of MSME & Textiles, Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Sports and Youth Services, and Cooperation. He has also served as Secretary of the Consumer Affairs Department in the state government.
His academic background reflects a strong combination of engineering, management and public policy. He completed his B.Tech. (Hons.) in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, in 1993. He subsequently obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. He later completed his Master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, USA, securing First Class with Distinction.
Before joining the civil services, Shri Pandey worked with Maruti Udyog Ltd. in the Product Development Department of its Engineering Division. This early professional experience in the automobile and engineering sector provided him with an understanding of industrial systems, product development and corporate functioning.
Following his entry into the civil services, he served in several field-level assignments, including Chief Executive Officer of the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority, and District Magistrate of Nadia and Darjeeling districts. These assignments provided him with extensive experience in district administration, land revenue management, development administration and the coordination of public services.
His tenure in the energy sector has been one of the most significant phases of his administrative career. Shri Pandey served as Chairman and Managing Director of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) for over five years. During this period, he was also associated with several important power sector institutions. He served as Chairman of New Town Electric Supply Co. Ltd. (NTESCL), Managing Director of West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (WBSETCL), Director of Durgapur Projects Limited (DPL) and Member of the Governing Body of the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA).
His experience in the power sector included responsibilities relating to electricity distribution, transmission, power infrastructure and renewable energy. The assignment gave him an in-depth understanding of the institutional and operational challenges associated with the energy sector.
Shri Pandey was also a Fulbright Fellow for Leadership Development in 2008. He completed his Master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in 2010. As part of the course requirement, he interned with the World Bank in Washington, D.C., where he worked on justice sector reforms in the Europe and Central Asia region. The international academic and professional exposure added an important policy dimension to his administrative experience.
Over the years, Shri Pandey has been associated with several policy initiatives in West Bengal. These include initiatives aimed at improving the Ease of Doing Business, incentive policies for the development of the MSME and textiles sectors, sports policy development and cluster development initiatives for the handloom and handicraft sectors.
His work has also included major initiatives in the power sector, including efforts towards universal electrification in West Bengal and comprehensive planning for the state’s power sector. His experience in policy formulation and implementation has extended across both economic and social sectors.
In his present role as Chairman of Damodar Valley Corporation, Shri Pandey takes charge of an organisation with a major role in the power and water resource landscape of eastern India. His extensive experience in the electricity distribution and transmission sectors, combined with his exposure to industrial policy, MSME development and public administration, provides him with a broad administrative and sectoral perspective for the new responsibility.
Shri Rajesh Pandey’s career reflects a rare combination of technical education, private-sector experience, public policy training, field administration and leadership of major public utilities. From his early professional experience in engineering and product development to district administration, industrial policy and power sector management, he has worked across a diverse range of responsibilities.
His experience as a senior administrator in West Bengal, particularly in the areas of energy, MSMEs, textiles and industrial development, has been complemented by international exposure through the Fulbright programme, Carnegie Mellon University and the World Bank. As he assumes charge as the 51st Chairman of Damodar Valley Corporation, Shri Rajesh Pandey brings to the position a broad administrative perspective, significant experience in managing complex public institutions and a demonstrated understanding of infrastructure and development-oriented governance.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Shri Rajesh Pandey the very best.