New Leadership at 145-Year-Old Chennai Port; Sachin Kurve Takes Over as Chairperson
Chennai:
Port Wings News Network:
Kurve Sachin Shardchandra, IAS, a 2003-batch officer of the Uttarakhand Cadre, took charge as Chairperson of Chennai Port Authority on 29 May 2026. His tenure succeeds that of Sunil Paliwal, IAS, who is currently serving as Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
Kurve is a distinguished officer of the Indian Administrative Service belonging to the 2003 batch of the Uttarakhand cadre. With a career spanning more than two decades, he has held several important administrative and leadership positions in the Governments of Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, contributing significantly to the fields of tourism, civil aviation, revenue administration, rural development, industries, public administration and district governance.
An engineering graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Kurve has built a reputation as an efficient, dynamic and people-oriented administrator.
Over the years, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership in policy formulation, programme implementation and governance reforms across diverse sectors.
Kurve has held several important portfolios in the Govt. of Uttarakhand. In his last role before joining Chennai Port Authority, he was holding the charge of Secretary, Medical Health & Medical Education and Secretary, Civil Aviation.
He has served as Secretary, Tourism and Secretary, State Excise & Revenue as well. In these roles, he has been instrumental in strengthening tourism infrastructure, promoting investment, improving air connectivity and streamlining land and revenue administration in the state.
He has held several other key assignments in the Govt. of Uttarakhand including Secretary, Rural Development and Secretary, Industries. He gained administrative experience in Haridwar, Dehradun (State capital), Tehri Garhwal and Rudraprayag districts where he has served as District Magistrate.
On deputation to Govt. of Maharashtra he held key positions including Collector – Nagpur, Collector – Mumbai Suburban and Secretary to Chief Minister – Maharashtra. His extensive experience in district administration and developmental governance has enabled him to successfully lead complex administrative and public service initiatives.
He has also played an important role in tourism development and infrastructure creation through projects supported by the Asian Development Bank in Uttarakhand. As Managing Director of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, he contributed towards strengthening tourism promotion and hospitality services in the state.
Kurve’s distinguished contribution to public administration has been recognised through several prestigious awards and accolades. During his tenure, the State received the Best Adventure Tourism Destination Award by India Today in 2025, the Best Vibrant Village Destination Development Award from the Ministry of Tourism in 2023, and the Best State for Promotion of Aviation Ecosystem Award in 2026, reflecting his significant contributions in the fields of tourism and civil aviation.
His individual honours include the Best Collector Award conferred by the Government of Maharashtra for Nagpur district (2015–16), the President’s Medal for Excellent Work during Census 2011, the Governor’s Appreciation Award for electoral revision work (2010–11), and the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award awarded by the Government of Maharashtra.
Known for his administrative acumen, calm leadership and developmental approach, Kurve continues to make significant contributions towards governance, public service delivery and institutional strengthening.
His strength lies in his citizen centric approach and humility to develop a collaborative ecosystem for the delivery of various public service initiatives of the Government. Under his leadership, Chennai Port Authority will prioritize operational modernization to boost cargo throughput via mechanized berths, drive digital transformation by implementing advanced smart port technologies, and advance green initiatives for sustainable, eco-friendly maritime trade practices.
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