Senior IAS officer Santosh Kumar Sarangi of the 1994 batch (Odisha cadre) has been given additional charge as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The appointment comes in the wake of the premature termination of Rameshwar Prasad Gupta’s tenure, just days before its scheduled end.
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy issued a statement confirming the development:
“The competent authority has approved the assignment of additional charge of the post of Chairman & Managing Director, Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd., Ministry of New & Renewable Energy to Santosh Kumar Sarangi, IAS (OR:94), Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”
Sarangi currently serves as the Secretary in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. A seasoned bureaucrat with extensive experience in public administration, he holds an M.Phil in Political Science and has served in key leadership roles both at the state and central levels. He holds Degree in Master of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Delhi and Master in Public Policy from the Duke University, USA.
His previous roles include Principal Secretary of the Science and Technology Department in Odisha, CMD of the Odisha Mining Corporation, and Director General of Foreign Trade under the Department of Commerce. He has also served as Chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Chairman of the Tea Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He has also worked as Additional Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education along with the charge of Chairperson, NCTE, New Delhi.
Sarangi’s appointment is seen as a strategic move to ensure continuity and experienced leadership at SECI, which plays a pivotal role in implementing India’s renewable energy transition goals.
About SECI
Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. (SECI) is a public sector company of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, established to facilitate the implementation of the National Solar Mission (NSM). The company attained Navratna status in 2024, which allows the organisation to undertake substantial investments of up to ₹1,000 crore without needing approval from the Centre.
