New Delhi: The Centre has extended the tenure of defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh by one year, till October 31, 2027.
He was scheduled to retire on October 31 this year. Singh, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre, took charge as the 40th defence secretary on November 1, 2024, succeeding Giridhar Aramane.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had cleared his appointment in August 2024 and allowed him to serve beyond the age of superannuation, up to October 31, 2026.
Before this, he was secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade from 2023 to August 2024.
In May 2026, he was also given additional charge as secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), after Samir V Kamat’s tenure ended on May 31.
Key decisions during his tenure
The Ministry of Defence marked 2025 as the “Year of Reforms”, with procurement at the centre.
Singh said in January 2025 that the policy would be overhauled within 6-12 months. The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has since been under review, and the Defence Procurement Manual 2025 has been put in place.
Speaking at the SIDM annual conference in Delhi on October 9, Singh said he hoped final approval for the DAP reforms would come before the end of this year. He also outlined plans to restructure the DRDO.
Self-reliance has been the other focus. India recorded its highest-ever defence production of ₹1.54 lakh crore in 2024–25. Defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in 2025–26, up 62.66% from the previous year, with shipments going to more than 80 countries.
Continuity at South Block, now Kartavya Bhawan 2
Extensions are not unusual for the post. Ajay Kumar served as defence secretary for more than three years, from August 2019 to October 2022. Bureaucratic circles had speculated about Singh’s future in the days before his term was due to end.
