Shri Rajesh Kumar Pathak
Secretary TDB 
is a 1995-batch Civil Service Officer of the Indian Posts & Telecommunications Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS) cadre and has been serving as Secretary, Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, on deputation since 26 July 2021. He brings with him nearly three decades of experience in public finance, administration, policy formulation and implementation, regulatory and statutory affairs, financial management, and institutional governance.

During his career spanning three decades, Shri Pathak has held several challenging assignments across Central Government Ministries, Urban Local Bodies, Special Purpose Vehicles, Government PSUs, and Autonomous and Statutory Bodies. His extensive experience encompasses Accounts & Finance, Administration, Audit, Regulatory and Statutory Functions, Policy Formulation and Implementation, Taxation, Tender and Contract Management, and Financial Management.

Shri Pathak holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee), a Master’s degree in Technology in Water Resource Engineering from IIT Delhi, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Policy & Management from IIM Bangalore.

Prior to joining TDB, Shri Pathak served as Member (Finance) in the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), a statutory body under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India. He has also served as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Member (Finance), Telecom Commission, and subsequently to the Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and Chairman, Telecom Commission (now Digital Communications Commission).

As Director, Wireless Finance (WF) in the Department of Telecommunications, he successfully led the mega e-auction of spectrum conducted in October 2016. One of the most complex auctions of natural resources undertaken by the Government, the process was conducted smoothly, transparently, and within a record timeframe under his leadership. The initiative subsequently received the Second Prize in the category of “IT Initiatives to Ensure Transparency in E-Auction in the Organisation” at the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Awards in 2017.

At TDB, Shri Pathak has brought a strong institutional, financial, and strategic perspective to the Board’s mandate of facilitating the commercialisation of indigenous technologies. Under his leadership, TDB has strengthened its funding portfolio, expanded its outreach, and enhanced engagement with startups, MSMEs, and technology-led enterprises, particularly in emerging and deep-tech sectors. During the last five years, under his able leadership, TDB has extended financial support to more than 100 projects, empowering startups and innovators across diverse sectors.

One of his most significant contributions has been to the Research Development & Innovation (RDI) Scheme, a landmark initiative of the Government of India. Shri Pathak played an instrumental role in drafting the Implementation Guidelines (IG) of the scheme, the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the selection of Second-Level Fund Managers (SLFMs), and, most importantly, the Special Financial Rules (SFR), making it the first Government of India scheme to operate outside the ambit of the General Financial Rules (GFR). The Department of Science & Technology has formally acknowledged his contribution in this regard.

During his tenure, TDB has undertaken several new initiatives, including bilateral Calls for Proposals for joint research with partner nations such as Israel, the UK, Singapore, Finland, and Spain; the role of Central Nodal Agency (CNA) for DST programmes; and, most significantly, its designation as the first Second-Level Fund Manager (SLFM) under the RDI Scheme. TDB became the first SLFM to initiate a Call for Proposals under the RDI Scheme and the first to enter into agreements and disburse RDI funds to Eligible Technology Entities (ETEs).

He has played an instrumental role in expanding the Board’s role in supporting high- risk, high-impact, and technology-intensive innovation. His leadership has contributed to positioning TDB as an agile and future-ready institution capable of bridging the gap between technology development and commercialisation. This is reflected in the fact that more than 25 deep-tech companies supported by TDB, under both its Core Fund and the RDI Fund, were selected by an independent selection panel constituted by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to participate in the recently held Bharat Innovates event in Nice, France.

With a vision aligned with the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat @2047, Shri Pathak continues to guide TDB towards becoming a stronger national platform for financing, nurturing, and accelerating the commercialisation of indigenous and deep-tech technologies, thereby contributing to India’s technology-led economic growth and innovation ecosystem.