Ladakh: Senior IAS Ashish Kundra has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Kundra’s appointment will take effect from January 1, 2026, or from the day he takes charge, whichever is later. He will succeed IAS Dr. Pawan Kotwal, who became the first Chief Secretary of Ladakh in February 2025. Dr. Kotwal will retire on December 31, 2025. This marks a significant shift in the top administration of Ladakh, as the region continues to implement new governance frameworks and address growing development priorities.
Kundra is a 1996 batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre. He holds a B.Tech degree in Electronics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University. Over a span of twenty-six years, he has taken on many leadership positions across Union Territories and states, including Chandigarh, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Kundra is currently the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Before this role, he served as Chief Electoral Officer of Mizoram and also led the Transport Department in Delhi as Principal Secretary cum Commissioner. His past responsibilities include Commissioner for Finance Planning and Investment in Arunachal Pradesh and Administrator for Daman, Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. He has also served in the central government and worked closely with the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry as his private secretary.
The new role in Ladakh comes at a time when the Union Territory is focused on administrative expansion and fast-tracking development projects. Kundra’s wide experience in handling governance, infrastructure, and policy execution will be key as Ladakh pushes ahead with its growth plans. His leadership will aim to ensure smooth administration and support the region’s long-term development goals.
