Mr Rajit Punhani, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre is the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, on Monday. He has over three decades of administrative experience across the Centre, states and international platforms, with a proven record of leading reforms in public policy, finance, social security, taxation, health, energy, security and governance. He has served as Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, where he oversaw initiatives to align the skilling ecosystem with industry demands and global competitiveness. 

He has played a pivotal role in launching a pension and insurance scheme for over 450 million unorganised sector workers, spearheaded the world’s largest maternal messaging service, and contributed substantially to the Committee on Indirect Taxes, which laid the foundation for India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST). His administrative career spans diverse roles such as District Magistrate and Dy Development Commissioner in the aspirational districts of Bihar. He also served as the Principal Secretary in the Government of Bihar, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and as a diplomat and representative to the European Union.