K Moses Chalai, secretary in the department of public enterprises (DPE), is soon to be named the next finance secretary, a position lying vacant for more than a month, sources have told Moneycontrol.
Chalai, a 1990-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Manipur cadre, is the senior-most bureaucrat in the finance ministry of which DPE is a part.
He will take over from Ajay Seth, who retired on June 30, leaving the vital position vacant.
While the government is yet to make a formal announcement, Chalai’s seniority within the ministry puts him in a strong position.
Chalai took charge as DPE secretary on April 22, 2025. Among the six departmental secretaries in the finance ministry, Chalai is the most senior.
The finance ministry has six departments — revenue, economic affairs, expenditure, financial services, department of investment and public asset management and public enterprises.
Typically, the senior-most secretary among these departments is picked as the finance secretary, who serves as the administrative head of the ministry and is responsible for coordinating inter-departmental work, driving fiscal policy implementation, and supporting the government’s broader economic agenda.
Since assuming charge of the department of public enterprises, Chalai has organised a workshop on Industry 4.0 technologies in New Delhi, which brought together experts, policymakers, and Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) leaders to explore digital transformation across critical sectors such as energy, infrastructure, power, telecom, and services.
At the workshop, the department laid out the vision for encouraging greater collaboration among CPSEs in adopting Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. These include artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, digital twins, 3D printing, and 5G-enabled smart infrastructure.
The DPE also indicated that Industry 4.0 capabilities may soon be incorporated in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) assessment framework for CPSEs, positioning early adopters for enhanced global competitiveness.
Chalai’s portfolio includes oversight of public sector governance, capital expenditure planning, and asset monetisation, all of which are areas of priority for the ministry.
