Union culture secretary Vivek Aggarwal was on Friday appointed vice president of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international body responsible for setting standards to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing, in what marks the first time India secured the vice presidency of the organisation. The country has been a member of the influential body since 2010.
Aggarwal was appointed as FATF vice president at the end of the plenary meeting held at the organisation’s headquarters in Paris, as per an official statement. He will take over from United Kingdom national Giles Thomson, who has held the position since July 1, 2025.
“Members approved the Priorities of the FATF under the incoming UK Presidency, and appointed Mr Vivek Aggarwal of India as the incoming Vice-President of the FATF (July 2026-June 2027),” the body said in a statement.
Who is Vivek Aggarwal?
- A 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Aggarwal earlier headed India’s delegation to the Financial Action Task Force and also served as director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FTU).
- With more than 30 years of administrative experience, he has worked in several key roles in both the Union and state governments. His work has covered areas such as finance, agriculture, urban development, infrastructure and public policy.
- Before assuming charge as culture secretary in April 2025, Aggarwal was additional secretary in the department of revenue under the ministry of finance. During that period, he headed the Financial Intelligence Unit-India and led India’s delegation to the Financial Action Task Force.
- He also worked as additional secretary and joint secretary in the ministry of agriculture, where he oversaw major programmes including Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Digital Agriculture and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
- He was serving as an additional secretary in the Union finance ministry when India’s last mutual evaluation report was released in 2024.
- Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal termed Aggarwal’s appointment a “major win” for India and said the position strengthens the country’s continued efforts to fight global terrorist financing networks.
- Jaiswal said Aggarwal’s “profound expertise” as the former head of India’s FATF delegation will help the organisation move forward its mandate to secure financial integrity.
How Vivek Aggarwal reacted to the appointment
In his statement, Vivek Aggarwal said the appointment reflected India’s collective efforts and the strength of the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.
“I am deeply honoured to serve, and look forward to working with the FATF Global Network to keep the international financial system safe, inclusive and resilient,” he added.
The presidency of the FATF is for a two-year term, while the vice president supports the president in carrying out the organisation’s responsibilities.
With inputs from agencies
