Meet Tuhin Kanta Pandey: SEBI’s New Chairman Succeeding Madhabi Puri Buch

He succeeds Madhabi Puri Buch, the outgoing SEBI chairperson, who took office on March 2, 2022. Her term is set to end on Friday, February 28, 2025. Buch made history as SEBI’s first woman chairperson

Pandey is also known for his long tenure as secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM)

Source : PTI

Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey has been appointed as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a three-year term, after receiving approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, IAS (OR:1987), Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Revenue to the post of Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI),” said, the Department of Personnel and Training in an official statement.

He succeeds Madhabi Puri Buch, the outgoing SEBI chairperson, who took office on March 2, 2022. Her term is set to end on Friday, February 28, 2025. Buch made history as SEBI’s first woman chairperson and served a three-year tenure.

When asked about the Centre's decision on Friday, Pandey responded, "I just got the order yesterday. The government has given the responsibility. I will go there (Sebi headquarters) and join. I will decide when I will go there and join." Regarding the date of his last working day as finance secretary, he said, "I haven’t decided yet,” reported ANI.

Who Is Tuhin Kanta Pandey?

Tuhin Kanta Pandey, a 1987 batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre, holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Punjab University, Chandigarh, and an MBA from the UK. He has had a distinguished career with significant roles both in the government of Odisha and the government of India.

Early in his career, Pandey served as the executive director and managing director of the Odisha State Finance Corporation (OSFC) and Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC). He later became the collector and district magistrate of Sambalpur and also served as deputy secretary in the Department of Commerce at the government of India. During this time, he was deputed to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Regional Office.

Upon returning to Odisha, he took significant roles, including special secretary in the General Administration Department, transport commissioner, health secretary, and commissioner of commercial taxes. In 2009, he was appointed joint secretary in the Planning Commission, where he worked for five years before serving another two years as joint secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.

With expertise in industrial development, financial management, and public finance, Pandey has been instrumental in implementing policy reforms, system innovations, and new institutional strategies. Since September 2016, he served as the principal secretary of the finance department in Odisha.

Pandey is also known for his long tenure as secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), a key department under the Ministry of Finance that manages government equity in public sector enterprises, and the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE). His work here was pivotal in spearheading disinvestment efforts in central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) and reducing government involvement in these sectors.

In January 2023, Pandey took charge of the Revenue Department following the move of his predecessor, Sanjay Malhotra, to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as governor. In this role, he played a crucial part in framing the 2025-26 Budget, which included tax relief of Rs 1 lakh crore for the middle class. He also contributed to drafting the new Income Tax Bill, set to replace the 64-year-old Income Tax Act, 1961.