New Delhi: Alkesh Kumar Sharma on Thursday assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). He is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer of 1990 batch, Kerala cadre. He has earlier served as Additional Secretary and Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India. In addition to other responsibilities given to him, Sharma was looking after the Cabinet proposals of all infrastructure, economic, finance, industry, agriculture and allied ministries of the Central government.
According to an official statement, Sharma worked as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC) from October 2015 to September 2019. He was also CEO of the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).
The industrial corridors are being developed by the Government of India as global manufacturing and investment destinations by setting up investment regions supported by the world-class infrastructure and enabling policy framework. He was also a member of the Task Force on Programme/Project management set up by NITI Aayog.
As a Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Government of India for three years (2012-2015), he handled matters relating to National Highways Planning, land acquisition, forest and environment clearances, review and monitoring of National Highways Projects, coordination with railways, defence and other agencies and all matters related to toll and toll policy on the national highways. He was also the Chairman of the Indian Highways Management Company Ltd and implemented the FASTAG system of toll collection.
In Kerala, he worked as Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd, Kochi and Additional Chief Secretary, Special Projects-Infrastructure and Industries from September 2019 to March 2021, where he monitored the implementation of mega infrastructure projects like semi-high speed rail, airport, ports, smart cities, multi-modal transport hub, waste to energy projects, Kochi-Bangalore Industrial Corridor and Development of Industrial Townships and Integrated Smart Manufacturing Clusters in Kerala. He also played a key role in branding and promoting Kerala Tourism as ‘God’s Own Country’ during his two tenures spanning over seven years in Kerala. /BI/
