Ajay Bhadoo’s Central Stint As Additional Secretary Extended, Gujarat Return Deferred

Bhadoo was appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce in August 2024. In March 2025, he was entrusted with the additional charge of CEO of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). With more than two decades of experience in public administration, Bhadoo has held key positions across various domains, building extensive expertise in policymaking, governance and administrative implementation.

He previously served as a Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India. Before that, he served as Joint Secretary to former President Ram Nath Kovind.

In Gujarat, Bhadoo served as Secretary to the Chief Minister in the Gujarat CMO from July 2014 to September 2016, after which he was appointed Vice Chairman & CEO of the Gujarat Maritime Board. He has also served as Municipal Commissioner of the Rajkot and Vadodara Municipal Corporations. In the Ministry of Commerce, his responsibilities have primarily concerned policy matters related to trade, exports, and ease of doing business.

Bhadoo has been closely involved in efforts to strengthen policies around trade, exports and ease of doing business. In 2026, he led key deliberations on improving the business environment for SEZs and EOUs. In February, he also chaired an inter-ministerial committee tasked with harmonising SEZ Reforms 2.0 with Export Promotion Schemes, as part of efforts to streamline India’s export ecosystem and make trade-related regulations more business-friendly.

Bhadoo was earlier also given the additional charge of Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). However, following the regular appointment of the DGFT in December 2025, his additional responsibility related to DGFT came to an end.

With the extension of his central deputation, Bhadoo will continue to play a role in key areas of the Centre’s trade and export policy. The extension also means that another senior Gujarat cadre officer will continue to hold an important position in the central government in Delhi.