Dr Ajay Kumar, joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1985. He holds a PhD in Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. He has an M.S. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota. After completing his B. Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, Dr Kumar served as Defence Secretary during the crucial period between August 2019 and October 2022. He is the longest-serving Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and has also held the position of Secretary in the Department of Defence Production. Dr Kumar currently leverages his expertise as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at IIT Kanpur and a non-resident Senior Fellow at Carnegie India. He is also the Founder Chairman of MountTech Growth Fund, an AIF Category-II Venture Fund. Dr Ajay Kumar shares his insights in a monthly Business Standard editorial ("Off the Grid") in the areas of defence, strategy, technology and policy. Additionally, he mentors start-ups and industries in the technology and defence sectors.