Service: Indian Administrative Service (IAS), 1991 batch, Maharashtra cadre
Current Position: Secretary, Department of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (since June 2025)
🎓 Education & Early Career
Shri Joshi is an alumnus of one of India’s premier engineering institutes, with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering. He entered the IAS in 1991, beginning a career marked by a strong emphasis on industry, infrastructure, and rural development.
🏛️ Administrative Career
Before taking charge of DFPI, Shri Joshi held several influential positions, including:
- Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development
- Additional Chief Secretary roles in Maharashtra, including Employment & Self-Employment, and Industries & Mining
- Senior leadership in infrastructure sectors such as Roads & Highways and Energy
- Held stints in central ministries overseeing project implementation, skill development, and investment promotion
His diverse administrative experience fostered collaborative platforms between government, industry, and academia.
📌 Role as Secretary, DFPI
Since June 2025, Shri Joshi has led the Department of Food Processing Industries, focusing on:
- Rural Agro-Processing Growth: Promoting grassroots-level facilities under schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana
- Supply Chain Integration: Facilitating investment in cold-chain logistics, mechanization, and PPP models
- Value-Added Production: Encouraging innovation in food safety, quality certification, and export-oriented processing
- Capacity Building: Strengthening industry-academia linkages and skill development for entrepreneurs and workers
- Cluster Development: Identifying and developing agro-processing clusters aligned with regional strengths such as spices, fruits, and dairy
📝 Summary
Shri Avinash Joshi brings a strong mix of administrative depth, rural-industry linkage, and infrastructure expertise to DFPI. Under his leadership, the department is scaling food processing as a tool for rural transformation, agri-value chain modernization, and economic productivity.