IAS Neeraj Kharwal Gets IICCL MD & CEO Charge for Six Months Alongside ITPO Role
The Centre has entrusted 2007-batch Uttarakhand-cadre IAS officer Neeraj Kharwal with the additional responsibility of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of India International Convention & Exhibition Centre Limited (IICCL). Kharwal, who is already serving as Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), will take on the additional assignment as an interim arrangement until a regular appointment is made or further orders are issued.
The appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) following a proposal from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on September 11, 2026, Kharwal will hold the additional charge for six months from the date he assumes responsibility, or until a regular appointment is made, or until further orders, whichever comes first.
Neeraj Kharwal Given Additional Charge of IICCL
The additional responsibility was assigned to Kharwal on September 10, 2026, while he continues in his existing position as Managing Director of ITPO. The arrangement effectively places the leadership of two important organisations connected with India’s trade promotion and exhibition infrastructure under the same senior IAS officer for the interim period.
As specified in the government order, Kharwal’s additional charge of IICCL will remain in force under the following conditions:
- Six months from the date he assumes charge
- Until a regular appointment is made to the post
- Until further orders are issued by the government
The earliest of these conditions will determine when his additional responsibility comes to an end. The arrangement is intended to avoid any administrative or leadership vacuum at IICCL while the government proceeds with the process of appointing a regular MD and CEO.
Kharwal Succeeds Rajat Kumar Saini
Kharwal takes over the additional responsibility from Rajat Kumar Saini, a 2007-batch Chhattisgarh-cadre IAS officer. Saini, who is the Managing Director and CEO of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), had been holding the IICCL position in an additional capacity.
With the latest order, the interim leadership arrangement has therefore shifted from one 2007-batch IAS officer to another. Kharwal’s existing role at ITPO makes the appointment particularly relevant because both organisations operate in areas closely associated with India’s trade, exhibitions, business events and investment promotion ecosystem.
The change also ensures that IICCL continues to have senior-level administrative leadership while the Centre works towards a regular appointment. For a major convention and exhibition organisation, continuity at the top is important because its operations involve coordination across government departments, infrastructure, events, business stakeholders and international participants.
IAS Neeraj Kharwal to Handle Dual Responsibilities
Kharwal will continue as Managing Director of ITPO while simultaneously serving as MD & CEO of IICCL in additional capacity. The dual assignment means that he will have to oversee responsibilities across two organisations that play significant roles in India’s exhibition and trade-promotion landscape.
His existing position at ITPO is itself a senior assignment. Taking on IICCL in addition to that role creates a temporary but important administrative combination, particularly given the scale and strategic relevance of the infrastructure associated with the convention and exhibition sector.
The government order specifies the arrangement at the level of Joint Secretary. Since the additional charge is explicitly temporary, it does not represent a permanent appointment to the IICCL post. Instead, it provides an administrative bridge until the government finalises a regular arrangement.
ACC Clears DPIIT Proposal
The appointment follows the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on a proposal moved by DPIIT. Such approvals are required for appointments and additional-charge arrangements at senior levels of the central government and its associated organisations.
The DoPT order lays down a clear time limit while also allowing the arrangement to end earlier if a regular appointment is made. This gives the government flexibility to complete the selection process without creating uncertainty over who will oversee IICCL in the meantime.
The immediate objective is continuity. With Kharwal already holding a senior position in ITPO, the government has placed the interim responsibility with an officer who is familiar with the broader trade-promotion and exhibition ecosystem.
What Is IICCL?
India International Convention & Exhibition Centre Limited, or IICCL, is a government-owned company under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The organisation is associated with the development and management of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) at Dwarka in New Delhi.
The IICC is envisioned as a major integrated convention and exhibition destination capable of hosting large national and international events. Its facilities are intended to support conventions, exhibitions, conferences, business events and other large-scale gatherings, placing the organisation in an important position within India’s modern business-events infrastructure.
The scale and nature of the centre mean that its administration involves much more than simply managing an exhibition venue. It sits at the intersection of infrastructure, commerce, trade promotion, business engagement and international events, making effective institutional leadership particularly important.
Why Kharwal’s Appointment Matters
The decision to give Kharwal additional charge comes at a significant point for India’s convention and exhibition infrastructure. Large-scale venues such as IICC are expected to play a role in attracting international conferences, exhibitions and business events, while also supporting India’s broader efforts to strengthen its position as a destination for global commercial activity.
For IICCL, the immediate priority is therefore to maintain operational and administrative continuity. Kharwal’s appointment ensures that the organisation continues to have a senior officer at the helm rather than operating without a full-time leadership arrangement during the transition.
At the same time, Kharwal’s existing ITPO role provides an obvious administrative link between trade promotion and exhibition infrastructure. His dual responsibilities could help maintain coordination between the two organisations during the period in which he holds the additional charge.
Six-Month Interim Arrangement
The government has not made the additional appointment open-ended. The order specifically states that Kharwal’s additional charge will continue for six months from the date he assumes charge, unless a regular appointment is made earlier or the government issues further orders.
That makes the latest move essentially an interim leadership arrangement rather than a permanent change in the organisational structure. The government can therefore appoint a regular MD & CEO whenever the selection process is completed, without having to wait for the six-month period to expire.
For now, however, the responsibility rests with Kharwal. The 2007-batch IAS officer will continue leading ITPO while also overseeing IICCL, ensuring that the organisation responsible for the India International Convention and Expo Centre has uninterrupted senior-level administrative leadership.
The appointment also highlights the Centre’s preference for maintaining continuity in strategically important government institutions. With Kharwal taking charge from Rajat Kumar Saini in additional capacity, IICCL now enters another interim phase under the leadership of a senior IAS officer while the government works towards a regular appointment.
