Dr. Saurabh Garg is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1991 batch, from the Odisha cadre. He is currently serving as Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India. He formally took over the role in June 2024, following an interim assignment in April 2024.
Education & Background
Dr. Garg holds a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. He later earned an MBA, graduating as a gold medallist from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. He also holds a Ph.D. in International Economics and Development from Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, he completed a program on globalization and urban development at the London School of Economics as a Chevening Gurukul Scholar.
Career and Appointments
Dr. Garg has held numerous senior administrative roles at both the central and state levels:
- Served in the Department of Economic Affairs and the Department of Expenditure in the Ministry of Finance.
- Represented India as Advisor to the Executive Director at the World Bank.
- Served as Chief Executive Officer of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
- Held the position of Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from April 2023 to June 2024.
In April 2024, he was assigned additional charge of Secretary, MoSPI, and was formally appointed as the full-time Secretary in June 2024. His service was extended beyond his scheduled superannuation on 31 July 2024, and he continues to serve in this capacity on a contractual basis through 31 July 2025.
As MoSPI Secretary, he also functions as Secretary to the National Statistical Commission.
Key Initiatives or Focus Areas
As Secretary of MoSPI, Dr. Garg has been instrumental in:
- Leading efforts to establish a whole-of-government data ecosystem, enhancing inter-ministerial data integration and standardization.
- Expanding and modernizing the Periodic Labour Force Survey, Annual Survey of Industries, and other major national statistical exercises.
- Working toward real-time data dissemination to improve responsiveness and transparency in government planning.
- Supporting initiatives to strengthen the role of the National Statistical Commission and improve coordination with state statistical systems.
His tenure has been marked by a push to make India’s statistical infrastructure more robust, agile, and transparent, aligning with global best practices.
Summary
Dr. Saurabh Garg is an accomplished civil servant and economist with over three decades of experience in governance, policy design, and statistical systems. With deep expertise in international economics and data reform, he is leading key transformations within the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. His work focuses on enhancing data quality, accessibility, and institutional coordination to support evidence-based policy in India.