Ajay Kumar Age, Wiki and Bio

Quick Info

Profession	Civil Servant
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	02/10/1962
Age	63 years
Birthplace	Uttar Pradesh, India

Bio/Wiki

Full Name	Dr Ajay Kumar
Known For	Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

Physical Stats & More

Height	5' 10" (178 cm)
Eye Color	Lavender Hazel
Hair Color	Salt and Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

Degrees	Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur Master's Degree in Development Economics from University of Minnesota PhD degree in Business Administration from Carlson School of Management
Colleges/Universities	Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur University of Minnesota, Minnesota, USA Carlson School of Management, Minnesota, USA

Personal Life

Religion	Hinduism
Hobbies	Reading Writing

Career

Post Held	39th Defence Production Secretary of India (2017-2019) 38th Defence Secretary of India (2019-2022) Chairperson of Union Public Service Commission (2025)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	EFY - Electronics Leader of Year (2013) Honorary Doctorate by Amity University, Noida (2019) Top 50 effective bureaucrats by Asia Post (2019) Distinguished Alumni, IIT Kanpur (2019) Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (2021)
Career Journey	Started his administrative career in 1985 in the Kerala cadre as District Magistrate in Palakkad district. Held positions such as managing director of Kerala State Co-operative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank and general manager in Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation. Revitalized operations as managing director of Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KELTRON). Joined the central government, working in various significant roles including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and leading the Department of Biotechnology. Served from 2007 to 2010 as Principal Secretary in the Information Technology Department of the Government of Kerala. Promoted IT systems for governance as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, and additional charge of Director General at National Informatics Centre. Contributed significantly to India's electronics and mobile manufacturing by framing the National Electronics Policy in 2012. Involved in various Digital India initiatives and supported policies in cybersecurity and emerging technologies. Assumed the role of Defence Production Secretary in 2017, focusing on self-reliance in defense manufacturing. Became Defence Secretary in August 2019, overseeing major defense reforms and the commissioning of the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Saksham. Contributed to innovative defense ecosystems and startup promotion during his tenure until 2022. After retirement, served as an advisor to the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) and founded MGF-Kavachh for deep tech startups. Currently holds the position of Chairperson at the UPSC since May 2025 and actively writes for Indian national dailies.

Some Lesser Known Facts

Ajay Kumar was born and raised in a middle-class family in Uttar Pradesh.
He is a retired IAS officer from the 1985 batch.
Kumar is known for being the longest-serving secretary in the Ministry of Defence.
Before civil services, he worked in various private sectors in the USA, gaining a global perspective on administration and technology.
He is one of the few IAS officers in India with a PhD from a foreign university.