Ashish Chatterjee, a 1999-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, has assumed charge as Principal Secretary and Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). His appointment brings more than 25 years of administrative experience spanning urban development, public governance, finance, energy and the steel sector.
Chatterjee has held several important assignments during his career in the Tamil Nadu government, including serving as District Collector of Viluppuram, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts. He has also worked with the Corporation of Chennai in areas related to urban development and city administration, giving him substantial exposure to the challenges of managing large urban infrastructure and public services.
At the Centre, Chatterjee served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, where he was involved in policy formulation and sectoral oversight. During his tenure at the ministry, he also served as a government nominee director on the boards of GAIL (India) Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Engineers India Limited.
In April 2025, he was appointed Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Steel, where he handled financial administration and fiscal matters relating to the sector. His experience across both policy and financial management has added a broader perspective to his administrative profile.
As Principal Secretary and MD of CMRL, Chatterjee takes charge at an important phase of Chennai’s urban transport expansion. His responsibilities will include providing leadership to the organisation as it advances major infrastructure works and expands the metro network. His background in urban governance, infrastructure-linked administration, energy and financial management is expected to be particularly relevant to the organisation’s ongoing development.
With his extensive experience across state and Central government assignments, Chatterjee’s elevation to the top leadership role at Chennai Metro Rail marks another significant responsibility in his administrative career.
