Dr. Vikrant Pandey: Doctor-Turned-IAS Officer Now Leads As Secretary To Gujarat CM

Originally from Rajasthan, Pandey began his professional journey as a doctor, before making a career-defining switch to public service. He left medicine to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, successfully joining the Indian Administrative Service in 2005.

Dr. Pandey began his administrative career in Rajkot, and went on to hold key district-level positions. He has served as District Collector in Rajkot, Bharuch, Valsad, and Ahmedabad — the latter during the tenure of then Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. His field-level experience across both Saurashtra and South Gujarat has given him deep insights into the region’s governance challenges and development priorities.

In November 2019, Pandey was deputed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, where he served as Director in the Inter-State Council Secretariat — a key unit facilitating coordination between states and the Centre.

Following his deputation, he returned to Gujarat and was appointed as Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, representing the state’s interests at the national capital and coordinating with central ministries.

Now, as Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr. Pandey brings a blend of frontline administrative experience and policy exposure at the national level, making him well-positioned to contribute to high-level governance and intergovernmental coordination from within the CMO.