R Kannan, born on 21 September 1955, is a retired Indian Administrative Service officer from the 1981 Tamil Nadu cadre. He holds a PhD in Rural Development, an LL.B. in Law, and an M.B.A. in Business Administration. Throughout his career, he served in various capacities including District Collector, Commissioner, Managing Director, and Principal Secretary. His most recent position was Additional Chief Secretary in the Department of Tourism and Culture from 18 February 2014 to 30 September 2015. R Kannan’s extensive administrative experience spans multiple leadership roles across state government departments.