Top News

New Delhi: India has achieved a major milestone in global financial governance after senior bureaucrat Vivek Aggarwal was appointed Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international body that sets standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

The appointment was announced at the conclusion of the FATF plenary meeting held in Paris on Friday. Aggarwal will serve as Vice President from July 2026 to June 2027, succeeding the United Kingdom’s Giles Thomson.

The development marks the first time India has secured the vice presidency of the influential organisation since joining in 2010. The appointment is being viewed as a recognition of India’s growing role in shaping international efforts to tackle financial crime and terror funding.

A 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Aggarwal currently serves as Union Culture Secretary. He brings more than three decades of administrative experience across a range of sectors, including finance, agriculture, infrastructure, urban development, and public policy.

Before taking charge as Culture Secretary in April 2025, he served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance. During that period, he also headed the Financial Intelligence Unit-India and led the country’s delegation to FATF meetings.

Aggarwal has also worked in the Ministry of Agriculture, where he was involved in key government initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Digital Agriculture Mission, and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

The Ministry of External Affairs described the appointment as a major achievement for India. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Aggarwal’s experience in anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing efforts would strengthen FATF’s efforts to protect the integrity of the global financial system.

Reacting to the appointment, Aggarwal said the honour reflected India’s collective efforts and the strength of its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.

“I am deeply honoured to serve, and look forward to working with the FATF Global Network to keep the international financial system safe, inclusive and resilient,” he said.

The presidency of the FATF is for a two-year term, while the vice president supports the president in carrying out the organisation’s responsibilities.