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 Manoj Joshi, a 1989 batch IAS officer, has assumed charge as secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers.
Joshi, from the Kerala Cadre, has been serving as the Secretary in the Department of Land Resources under the ministry of rural development. He has taken over the new position from the beginning of January, from Amit Agawal, who has been at the helm of DoP for a year and now shifted to the top rank of the Department of Telecommunications.
This was part of a shuffle announced by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on November 20, 2025. Joshi has been under deputation with the Central government since the year 2020, and served under various Ministries including the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, the ministry of housing and urban affairs, and the ministry of rural development.
In Kerala, he had his stint in departments including the Department of Economic Affairs, and served as the Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, and a few other public sector firms.
Announcing the appointment, the DoP said that the Department looks forward to his leadership in strengthening India’s pharmaceutical and MedTech sectors.
At the helm of the DoP, Joshi will be now spearheading various initiatives, projects and schemes announced by the Central government to support the pharma and medical devices sector. This include various production linked incentive (PLI) schemes related to these sectors, the affordable medicine supply chain under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), the Scheme for Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech Sector (PRIP), among others.
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