Ajay Seth, the former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
His appointment was confirmed through an official government notification, and he will hold the position for a tenure of three years.
The top post at IRDAI had remained unoccupied since March 2025, when Debasish Panda stepped down.
Seth's selection concludes months of speculation, during which he and former Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane were considered the frontrunners. Moneycontrol had first reported Seth’s candidacy.
An IAS officer of the 1987 batch from the Karnataka cadre, Seth brings more than three decades of experience across various sectors in government. He served as DEA Secretary from 2021, and earlier this year was briefly given additional charge of the Revenue Department after Tuhin Kanta Pandey took over as SEBI Chairperson.
Throughout his administrative career, Seth has been involved in shaping India’s economic policy landscape. His expertise spans across several departments such as public finance, infrastructure development, taxation, digital payments, foreign investment, and budgeting. He has also played leadership roles in social development initiatives and urban transport planning.
Seth's professional journey includes nearly 18 years dedicated to finance and taxation, with additional stints of around three years each in the social and urban transport sectors. His contributions extend beyond Indian governance, having worked with international institutions like the Asian Development Bank.
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