NEW DELHI: Two senior Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) officers of the 1998 batch, Sonal Bajaj and Pankaj K. Singh, have been promoted to the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) in the rank of Principal Commissioner in October 2026.
Both officers have completed nearly 28 years of service and have held a range of assignments across Customs, Central Excise, GST, tax administration, intelligence, litigation and other areas of indirect taxation.
While Bajaj has had a diverse career spanning tax administration, the Cabinet Secretariat and a diplomatic assignment, Singh has spent much of his career in the field of indirect tax administration, including important responsibilities in GST and Central Excise formations.
Sonal Bajaj: From IIT Kanpur to Customs, Cabinet Secretariat and NPCIL
Sonal Bajaj is a 1998-batch IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes) officer who has been elevated to the rank of Principal Commissioner under the HAG.
An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Bajaj holds a B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering and Technology. His academic background has also complemented his subsequent assignments involving taxation, administration and the energy sector.
Over a career spanning around 28 years, Bajaj has handled diverse responsibilities across Customs, Central Excise, Tax Research and Intelligence.
One of the distinctive phases of his career was his long tenure on deputation with the Cabinet Secretariat. He spent around a decade on deputation, during which his assignments included a diplomatic posting at the Indian High Commission in Canberra, Australia.
His Cabinet Secretariat tenure also included an assignment in Northeast India, adding to his experience beyond conventional indirect tax administration.
Following his stint with the Cabinet Secretariat, Bajaj served for around three years as Commissioner of Customs at Nhava Sheva in Mumbai Zone II. The assignment placed him in charge of one of the country’s important customs formations and added significant field experience to his administrative career.
He is currently on a five-year Central deputation and is serving as Director (Finance) at the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), under the Department of Atomic Energy.
His promotion to the HAG level comes while he is on this central deputation.
Pankaj K. Singh: Extensive Experience in GST and Central Excise
Pankaj K. Singh, also a 1998-batch IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes) officer, has likewise been promoted to the Higher Administrative Grade as Principal Commissioner in October 2026.
Singh cleared the IIT-JEE examination in 1991 and subsequently qualified the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission in 1997 before joining the Indian Revenue Service.
Over nearly 28 years in public service, he has worked extensively in India’s indirect tax administration, handling assignments involving regional tax administration, GST, Central Excise and litigation.
His recent assignment was as Commissioner, GST & Central Excise (Appeals), for the Raigad jurisdiction under the Mumbai GST zone. In this role, he was responsible for appellate work relating to tax disputes and associated matters within the jurisdiction.
Before this, Singh held various administrative positions across the Surat GST and Central Excise zones, gaining extensive experience in field formations and indirect tax administration.
His career has therefore covered both the operational and appellate dimensions of the country’s indirect tax framework.
Promotion to Higher Administrative Grade
The elevation of Bajaj and Singh to the HAG as Principal Commissioners marks their progression into one of the senior administrative grades of the Indian Revenue Service.
Following his promotion in October 2026, Singh initially took charge on an in-situ basis, pending regular placement by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
Bajaj, meanwhile, continues to serve on central deputation as Director (Finance) at NPCIL under the Department of Atomic Energy.
The promotions come after nearly three decades of service for both officers and reflect their long experience across different facets of India’s Customs and indirect tax administration.
Read also: CBIC Posts 4 IRS (C&IT) Officers as Deputy Secretaries on Four-Year Deputation Basis
