Late Mr. Saurabh Chandra

(BT/EE/1976)

Late Mr. Saurabh Chandra received his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1976. He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1978 and was allotted the Uttar Pradesh cadre. He retired from the post of Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in 2015. Prior to that, he was Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

In a public service career spanning 37 years, Mr. Chandra held several prestigious positions, both in the state of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of India (GOI). The experience he gained in policy formulation and implementation was demonstrated by a long record of successful outcomes in multiple areas and diverse sectors like oil and gas, industry, disinvestment, foreign direct investment, intellectual property, district administration, and execution of big projects. Specifically, during his tenure as Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, major sustainable reforms with far-reaching impact were introduced in the oil and gas sector. Diesel deregulation was one such reform led by him. PAHAL was another, and as the world's largest direct benefit transfer scheme, it found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. During his stint as Secretary in DIPP, he initiated major reforms in the FDI policy and intellectual property regime. Earlier, while working in the Department of Fertilisers, Government of India, he was associated with the setting up of the Oman India Fertiliser Project, one of the most successful overseas joint ventures of Indian enterprises.

Mr. Chandra also served as a Public Interest Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited and as an Independent Director on the Boards of SBI Pension Funds Pvt. Ltd, Vacmet India Limited, and JK Cements Limited. He was also a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Medical Research and Technology at IIT Kanpur.

Honoring his stellar contributions to public administration and formulation of public policy, IIT Kanpur conferred upon Mr. Saurabh Chandra the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2021.