Pradeep Kumar has been appointed as the Defence Secretary. He will assume charge on the superannuation of Vijay Singh on July 31, 2009. Kumar is presently working as Secretary (Defence Production) in the Ministry of Defence. He belongs to 1972 batch of Indian Administrative Service. Kumar who is a Haryana Cadre officer, is a graduate in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Masters in Economic and Social Studies from the University of Wales, UK.
Kumar has rich and wide experience in the field of public administration and has held many senior positions in the Government of Haryana and Government of India. He has worked as director of industries, principal secretary, power irrigation, science and technology, town and country planning and urban estates departments in the Government of Haryana.
He has also served as joint secretary in the department of heavy industry, additional secretary in the ministry of coal, chairman, National Highways Authority of India and secretary (disinvestment) in the ministry of finance, Government of India.
Kumar has served on the boards of a number of leading companies including Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Maruti Udyog Ltd., Andrew Yule Ltd., Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd., Coal India Ltd. and Nyvelli Lignite Corporation Ltd.
