The board of directors of IDBI Bank Limited on Saturday approved the appointment of Ajay Prakash Sawhney as Additional Director from August 28, the company announced through an exchange filing.
Ajay Prakash Sawhney, a Graduate of Institute of Mechanical Engineers, London, UK, is a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre. He has served as Secretary to the Government of India, at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and retired on February 28, 2022.
As Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India from June 2017 to February 2022, Shri Sawhney led the Digidhan Mission for promotion of UPI and digital payments, guided the growth of Aadhaar ecosystem and multiple national public digital platforms like Digilocker, Umang, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (Health), Bhashini (language technologies) and helped significant growth and acceleration of electronic manufacturing in India. He actively catalysed Indian technology start-ups and Atma Nirbhar Bharat Apps, supervised cyber law and cyber security, Data Protection Bill, design of Indian micro-processors, supercomputing and the launch of the National Semiconductor Mission.
Prior to this Sawhney worked as Additional Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. He also worked as President & EO of the National eGovernance Division in Dept of IT, Govt of India. In the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, Sawhney has worked as principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Principal Secretary Health, Medical & Family Welfare Dept, and Secretary Information Technology and Communications Department (IT&C), Special Secretary IT&C, Additional Secretary IT&C and as Managing Director, AP Technology Services Ltd.
He played a key role in shaping the IT vision of AP, spearheaded multiple eGovernance projects, actively promoted the growth of IT industry in AP, and led the design and setting up of International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad and its emergence as a premier IT research and education institute.
During his tenure in Government of India and the governments of his cadre, Sawhney has also served in various capacities as Director of Public Sector enterprises, viz., Oil India Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Oil India International Limited, Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited, Digital India Corporation, National Internet Exchange of India, CSC E-Governance Services India Limited, Government E-marketplace and National Institute for Smart Government. Sawhney is presently on the Board of Data Security Council of India and Delhi Gymkhana Club Limited.
