A distinguished Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2001 batch, and currently serving as the Secretary to the Government of Karnataka in the Department of Electronics, Information Technology (IT), Biotechnology (Bt), and Science & Technology (S&T), since August 2023, Dr Ekroop Caur, a PhD holder from Punjab University, has over two decades of experience in public administration. She has played a pivotal role in shaping policies across multiple domains, including finance, urban governance, infrastructure, and technology.
Emerging as one of Karnataka’s most influential bureaucrats, Dr Ekroop has been instrumental in the launch of India’s first GCC policy in 2024. The government aims to attract the establishment of 500 new global capability centres (GCCs) achieving a total number of 1,000 GCCs in Karnataka by 2029; and to support creation of 3.5 lakh new jobs in Karnataka by 2029.
She also led the government’s efforts in launching Karnataka Biotechnology Policy 2024-2029 that aims to accelerate the bioeconomy by streamlining regulations, promoting bio-manufacturing, attracting investments and advancing R&D. Initiatives provide essential infrastructure and incentives for sustained sectoral growth.
Dr Ekroop is also playing a major role in strengthening biotech education in the state through skilling programmes, promoting scale-up of biotech startups; streamlining biotech regulations to facilitate business setups and attract investment; and supporting biomanufacturing aligned with health, climate goals.
Throughout her career, she has held several significant positions including Secretary of Finance in the Karnataka government. Beyond these roles, she has served on the boards of various high-profile public sector companies and premier institutions.
