New Delhi: Alkesh Kumar Sharma, an IAS officer of 1990 batch of Kerala cadre and currently serving as Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the 10-member panel of Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Its role is to deal with ‘strategic and urgent issues’ of the Internet and provide strategic advice to the IGF.

In May this year, Sharma assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). 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. 

Sharma has also 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 the CEO of 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 world-class infrastructure.

As Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 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 Chairman of the Indian Highways Management Company Ltd and implemented the FASTAG system of toll collection.

Sharma worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for three years (2006-09) as the National Project Director, Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation. In Kerala, he worked as the 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. /BI/