Who Was Dhanendra Kumar? 1st Competition Commission Chief Dies In AC Blast At Delhi Home

New Delhi: Retired IAS officer and the first chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Dhanendra Kumar, died in a fire after a suspected AC blast at his residence in South Delhi's Hauz Khas on Thursday. His son suffered injuries and is currently undergoing treatment.

A total of five people, including family members and domestic help, were present in the house at the time of the incident, which took place around 11:18 pm, reported NDTV.

Police teams and fire department personnel rushed to the spot to rescue the members present inside the house and douse the fire. The 80-year-old died due to smoke inhalation while undergoing treatment at the AIIMS Trauma Centre, according to police.

Who Was Dhanendra Kumar?

Born in 1946, Dhanendra Kumar started his career as a 1968-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. During his long administrative career, he held several senior roles in both the Central and Haryana governments and later played an important role in matters related to India’s competition law and economic reforms, according to NDTV.

Over the years, he served as Secretary in important ministries such as Defence, Road Transport and Highways, and Culture, handling issues linked to national security, infrastructure growth, and cultural heritage.

Dhanendra Kumar was the first chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), serving from February 2009 to June 2011. During his tenure, several key measures were introduced to implement competition law in the country. The CCI’s role was also strengthened to ensure fair market competition and keep a check on monopolistic practices by large companies.

At the international level, Kumar represented India at the World Bank as Executive Director for India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan from 2005 to 2009, where he contributed to regional economic and development efforts.

He also led committees that assisted in framing the National Competition Policy and simplifying real estate approval procedures.

In Haryana, Kumar served as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and also headed HSIIDC, making significant contributions to industrial development in the state.

After retirement, he continued to remain involved in public policy and corporate affairs through Competition Advisory Services India LLP and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs.