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India has secured a key position in the leadership of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), with senior bureaucrat Vivek Aggarwal elected as vice president of the global watchdog responsible for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Announcing the development on X, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described it as a “major win for India in FATF”.“Major win for India in FATF! Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Government of India, has been elected the Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force. As India continues to champion a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, this leadership role reinforces our relentless focus on combating global terrorist financing networks and dismantling illicit financial systems.His profound expertise as the former Head of India’s FATF delegation and former Director of FIU-IND will advance FATF’s mandate to secure financial integrity,” Jaiswal posted.The MEA said that the appointment reflected country’s growing role in international efforts aimed at tackling terrorist financing and illicit financial networks. It noted that Aggarwal’s experience leading India’s FATF delegation and heading the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) would contribute to advancing the organisation’s mandate of safeguarding financial integrity.The ministry of culture also welcomed the development, saying it highlighted the confidence and credibility India has built across more than 200 jurisdictions and underlined the country’s role in shaping global policy responses to emerging challenges.“It reflects the immense trust and credibility India has built across more than 200 jurisdictions, highlighting the nation’s proactive role in shaping global policy on emerging risks like digital payments and virtual assets,” the ministry said in a post on X.The FATF is an intergovernmental body that formulates standards and policies to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other threats to the international financial system.Aggarwal, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, currently serves as Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. He has more than three decades of administrative experience and has held senior positions in both the Union and state governments across sectors including finance, agriculture, urban development, infrastructure and public policy.Before assuming charge as Culture Secretary in April 2025, he served as additional secretary in the department of Revenue under the ministry of finance. During that tenure, he headed the FIU-IND and led India’s delegation to the FATF. He was responsible for matters related to anti-money laundering, economic security, GST and financial intelligence. Aggarwal has also served as additional secretary and joint secretary in the ministry of agriculture, where he led key initiatives including PM-KISAN, Digital Agriculture and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
