Rajesh Agrawal, chief negotiator for Indo-US trade pact, takes over as commerce secy

Rajesh Agrawal, who has been posted in the commerce ministry since December 2022, is the chief negotiator for the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement

NEW DELHI: Rajesh Agrawal, a 1994-batch, Manipur cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Service, on Wednesday took over as commerce secretary after his predecessor Sunil Barthwal retired from the post on Tuesday, according to an official statement.

Rajesh Agrawal was previously instrumental in shaping the country’s skill development policies and represented India at the World Skills Governing Council for three years (X/TPCI_)

Agrawal, who has been posted in the commerce ministry since December 2022, is the chief negotiator for the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and a Master’s degree in Operations Research from Delhi University. He also pursued an Executive Post-Graduate Diploma in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).

Agarwal is an accomplished administrator with three decades of experience in governance, policy making and implementation across diverse sectors including skilling, human resource development, apprenticeship, power, fertilizer, agriculture, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the commerce ministry said in the statement.

“He has been instrumental in shaping the country’s skill development policies, represented India at the World Skills Governing Council for three years, and steered sectoral reforms in states such as Manipur, Jharkhand, and Bihar,” it said.

Prior to his current assignment, Agrawal was overseeing India’s trade negotiations with various countries under free trade agreements (FTAs). He was also the key negotiator for the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum, India–Australia CECA, and the review of the ASEAN FTA. He was also in charge of export promotion for the agriculture and allied sectors.