Sudha Pillai

Ms. Sudha Pillai, is a post graduate in Psychology (gold medalist), Punjab University and in Public Administration, Harvard University, USA with special areas of interest in Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Employment & Growth, Macro Economic Policy, World Food System, Equity in Rural Development Policy and Leadership & Mobilization of Group Resources.

She joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1972 at the age of 22 with Second Rank on all India basis. She has served as Sub-Collector and District Collector, Trivandrum, Chairman & Managing Director of Kerala Finance Corporation, Secretary Finance (Coordination), Government of Kerala and Principal Secretary (Finance), Government of Kerala. She has also served as Director in the Ministry of Industry; Joint Secretary, Department of Company Affairs; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines and held other positions under Government of India. She was promoted as Secretary to Government of India in 2005. She served as Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment and Secretary, Planning Commission before being elevated as Member Secretary.

She has contributed immensely in promoting reforms and legal system in India and liberalization of industrial licensing regime. She has also contributed in drafting of the Companies Bill, 1993, Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996, processing amendment of the Constitution of India, enactment of Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Law, 2008, implementation of Bundelkhand Package 2009-12, formulation and implementation of New Land Use Policy for Mizoram 2009-12 and implementation of Integrated Action Plan for Naxal affected districts 2010-12.

She has rich experience and expertise in policy formulation relating to Technology Transfer, Foreign Investment and Competition Law, National Skill Development Policy and Safety, Health & Environment at Workplace.

She has also served as Member Secretary of Planning Commission (India) in the rank of Minister of State and has served as Member of high powered bodies on infrastructure development. She has attended many conferences in India and abroad and in some of them, she has led the Government of India delegations. She was an ex-officio Member of National Highway Authority of India, Indian Infrastructure Finance Company Limited and the Central Councils of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Institute of Company Secretaries of India & Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

She has also served on the Boards of National Skill Development Corporation and Apollo Tyres Limited. She was on the Board of Trustees of the Skill Development Trust Fund housed in the Ministry of Finance and was also a Member of the Board of Trustees of National Skill Development Corporation. Presently, she is a Director of International Travel House Limited.