Vivek Chaturvedi IRS takes over as New Chairman of CBIC

Vivek Chaturvedi IRS takes over as New Chairman of CBIC

Senior IRS officer Shri Vivek Chaturvedi, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (C&IT), has officially taken over as Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on 28 November 2025, and he assumed charge on 1 December 2025. He succeeds Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, who retired on 28 November.

CBIC — formerly the Central Board of Excise & Customs — functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and drives India’s indirect tax administration. The Board supervises the formulation and implementation of policies across Customs, Central Excise, CGST, IGST, anti-smuggling operations, and related enforcement activities. It also oversees key field formations such as Customs Houses, CGST Commissionerates, and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.

Before joining the Board, Shri Chaturvedi served as Principal Director General of Vigilance and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) — roles that placed him at the heart of the government’s integrity, anti-corruption, and oversight framework. His background in vigilance, policy, and large-scale administrative systems makes his elevation particularly significant at a time when India’s indirect tax landscape is entering a new phase of consolidation and technological transformation.

Strengthening Clean Tax Governance

Shri Chaturvedi’s appointment signals a continued emphasis on:

• clean and transparent tax administration,
• sharper enforcement mechanisms,
• digital-first governance, and
• smoother compliance for taxpayers.

With GST eight years into its rollout, the system is entering a refinement phase — focusing on rate rationalisation, reduced litigation, tech-driven compliance, and strengthened anti-evasion tools. His vigilance experience aligns closely with the government’s push to curb fake invoicing, circular trading, and ITC fraud, areas where analytics-driven detection has already delivered major breakthroughs.

The scale of challenges remains considerable. By July 2023, CBIC had uncovered 24,000 fake GST invoice cases involving ₹63,000 crore in wrongful ITC claims. Enforcement continues to be active; on 25 November 2025, CGST Chennai North Commissionerate exposed a network that generated ₹50.85 crore fraudulent ITC on invoices worth about ₹300 crore. These trends highlight the need for sustained technological and administrative vigilance to protect the country’s revenue base.

Customs Modernisation & Global Integration

On the customs front, India’s rapid digital modernisation demands experienced leadership. Automated risk systems, AI-enabled cargo profiling, paperless clearances, and improved global data linkages are reshaping the country’s border management ecosystem. As Chairman, Shri Chaturvedi will steer these reforms while maintaining coordination with international bodies such as the World Customs Organisation (WCO).

He will also play a key role in supporting GST Council deliberations, where CBIC serves as the technical and administrative backbone for policy proposals involving both the Union and the States.

A Leadership Transition with Strategic Implications

Shri Chaturvedi succeeds Shri Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, IRS (1988), who concluded his tenure on 28 November 2025. With over three decades of experience across Customs, GST, vigilance, and administrative roles, Chaturvedi is widely regarded as a steady, policy-savvy, and systems-driven officer.

His leadership comes at a pivotal moment — when India’s indirect tax administration is preparing for the next decade of:

• deeper digital transformation,
• stronger compliance culture,
• simplified taxpayer experience, and
• sustained economic expansion.

**Indian Bureaucracy Dot Com extends best wishes to Shri Vivek Chaturvedi as he takes charge of CBIC.**