Rajesh Sudhir Gokhale (born 16 January 1967) is a distinguished chemical biologist and academician, currently serving as Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. He assumed office in October 2021.
Education & Background
Gokhale holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Delhi and a Master of Science in Biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Biology at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and pursued postdoctoral research at Stanford University, USA.
He began his research career at the National Institute of Immunology (NII), Delhi, and later served as Director of the CSIR–Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) from 2009 to 2016. He has also held academic positions at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune before being appointed Secretary in the Department of Biotechnology.
Career and Appointments
Research & Academic Contributions
Gokhale is widely recognized for his work in chemical biology, particularly for discovering long-chain fatty acyl-AMP ligases (FAAL) and exploring metabolic pathways in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. His research has advanced the understanding of metabolic reprogramming in infectious and autoimmune diseases.
He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and holds patents in both India and the United States, including innovations related to pigmentation processes in skin cells.
Among his notable honors are:
- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2006)
- National Bioscience Award for Career Development (2009)
- Infosys Prize in Life Sciences (2013)
He is also an elected fellow of several Indian national science academies.
Secretary, Department of Biotechnology
In October 2021, Rajesh Gokhale was appointed Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. In this role, he is responsible for advancing national biotechnology initiatives in health, agriculture, energy, and the environment.
Under his leadership, the department has pursued policies to enhance public–private partnerships, promote translational research, and foster startup ecosystems.
Key Initiatives or Focus Areas
As Secretary, Gokhale has championed the Bio-E3 strategy—a national initiative that integrates biotechnology into the pillars of Economy, Environment, and Employment. His focus areas include:
- Promoting biotechnology startups and innovations
- Scaling up bio-manufacturing capabilities in India
- Supporting sustainable, science-driven solutions for agriculture and healthcare
- Expanding India’s global competitiveness in the biotechnology sector
Summary
Rajesh Sudhir Gokhale is a renowned scientist and senior administrator whose work spans frontier research and national biotechnology policy. As Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, he is at the forefront of driving India’s biotech innovation ecosystem and aligning it with broader developmental goals. His contributions in academia and policy have positioned him as a key figure in India’s science and technology leadership.