A leadership reshuffle at the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) is putting policy continuity and regulatory oversight in focus as India implements nearly ₹38,000 crore in automotive manufacturing and electric-vehicle incentives. The changes come as the government seeks to accelerate localisation, strengthen domestic technological capabilities, and enforce subsidy compliance amid geopolitical uncertainty and increasingly complex automotive regulations.
Secretary Kamran Rizvi is due to retire at the end of October, while Additional Secretary Dr Hanif Qureshi’s upgraded central posting expires on January 7, 2027. Qureshi is expected to oversee day-to-day affairs after Rizvi’s retirement until a successor is appointed, according to sources familiar with the developments. Whether the government extends his arrangement remains unclear.
The reshuffle extends to the automotive desk, where Ankit Chauhan, a 2013-batch AGMUT-cadre IPS officer and former Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner (Special Branch), has joined as Deputy Secretary (Auto).
Chauhan’s responsibilities include coordinating MHI’s ₹780-crore automotive testing infrastructure upgrade across agencies including ARAI, ICAT, NATRAX and GARC, according to officials familiar with the work allocation.
His induction brings an officer with an enforcement background into a role where testing-agency coordination, domestic value-addition verification and technical certification are critical to the integrity of automotive incentive programmes. His appointment follows changes in officer-level responsibilities, including the earlier tenure of Gaurav Joshi, who handled manufacturing and heavy-industry portfolios.
The ₹780-crore allocation under PM E-DRIVE is intended to strengthen infrastructure for EV battery safety, alternative fuels, vehicle certification and technical verification. The investment comes as manufacturers face closer scrutiny of domestic value-addition claims and incentive eligibility.
A senior official working closely with MHI said continuity would be essential to balancing industry requirements with government priorities.
“Incoming officers must understand the industry’s concerns while advancing the government’s objectives of localisation, decarbonisation and building indigenous technological capabilities. These priorities have become even more important amid geopolitical tensions, global uncertainty and supply-chain disruptions,” the official said.
MHI administers the ₹11,900-crore PM E-DRIVE programme and the ₹25,938-crore Auto Production Linked Incentive scheme, representing combined approved outlays of ₹37,838 crore. Both programs require compliance with prescribed eligibility conditions, while Auto PLI involves domestic value-addition verification.
Qureshi, a 1996-batch Haryana-cadre IPS officer, has overseen automotive policy administration through the transition from FAME-II to PM E-DRIVE.
Uday Narang, Chairman and Founder of Omega Seiki Mobility, said Qureshi had balanced competing priorities.
“Dr Qureshi has had to walk a difficult tightrope between the government’s policy objectives and the practical challenges faced by the automobile industry. At a time when manufacturers were grappling with subsidy disputes, localisation requirements, and changing regulations, he understood the industry’s concerns without compromising the government’s emphasis on compliance and accountability,” Narang said.
Randheer Singh, Founder and CEO of ForeSee Advisors and former Director of Electric Mobility at NITI Aayog, highlighted the regulatory challenge.
“Manufacturers and dealers are preparing for tighter CAFE fuel-efficiency standards, evolving tractor emission norms, the possibility of BS7 regulations, E20 fuel compatibility, and proposals involving compressed biogas blending with CNG. Each has implications for product development, vehicle costs, affordability and consumer demand,” Singh said.
These requirements span several ministries and regulatory authorities, making coordination essential.
Qureshi has also been empanelled for Additional Director General of Police or equivalent positions at the Centre. However, no decision on his continuation at MHI or a subsequent appointment has been established.
“The immediate test for the ministry will be preserving institutional expertise while ensuring rigorous subsidy verification, timely certification, and predictable implementation of India’s localisation and decarbonisation programs. The challenge for MHI’s incoming leadership will be preserving institutional expertise while ensuring rigorous subsidy verification, timely certification, and predictable execution of India’s localisation and ongoing decarbonisation objectives,” said a top official in a leading passenger car oem.
Published on October 21, 2026
