Rajesh Agrawal, a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Manipur cadre, has been appointed as the new commerce secretary of India. He assumed charge after Sunil Barthwal retired from the post.
Agrawal has been serving in the commerce ministry since December 2022 and is the chief negotiator for the proposed India&ndash;US bilateral trade agreement. With three decades of administrative experience, he has worked across key sectors such as skill development, human resource management, agriculture, fertilisers, power, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
A graduate of Delhi University with a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Statistics and a master&rsquo;s degree in Operations Research, Agrawal also holds an Executive PG Diploma in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).
In his previous assignments, he played a major role in shaping India&rsquo;s skill development programs, represented the country at the World Skills Governing Council, and implemented reforms in states like Manipur, Jharkhand, and Bihar. He also led India&rsquo;s negotiations for major free trade agreements, including the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum, India&ndash;Australia CECA, and the review of the ASEAN FTA.

IAS officer Rajesh Agrawal takes charge as commerce secretary, succeeding Sunil Barthwal

Rajesh Agrawal is New Commerce Secretary

IAS officer Rajesh Agrawal takes charge as commerce secretary, succeeding Sunil Barthwal

October 1, 2025 | 18:25 IST