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India on Saturday witnessed a diplomatic and financial milestone after it assumed the Vice Presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the first time in history. At the conclusion of the plenary meeting held at the agency headquarters in Paris, Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal was appointed the FATF vice president.
The news was confirmed by both the Ministry of External Affairs and the Finance Ministry. The move is significant since the FATF is a global body that sets standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. While New Delhi has been a member of the agency since 2010, this is the first time India has held such a position.
“Major win for India in FATF! Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Government of India, has been elected the Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a post on X. Aggarwal will now succeed UK national Giles Thomson, who has been holding the post since July 1, 2025.
Here's what to know about the distinguished IAS officer:
Who is Vivek Aggarwal?
Aggarwal is a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, who has served as the head of the Indian delegation to the FATF in the past. He has also been the director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
Interestingly, he was serving as an additional secretary in the Union finance ministry when India's last mutual evaluation report was published in 2024. The FATF eventually lauded India and stated that its assessment of the country's measures to tackle illicit finance found that it has implemented an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) framework that is achieving good results.
In his statement, Jaiswal said that Aggarwal has "profound expertise" as the former head of India's FATF delegation and will advance the organisation's mandate to secure financial integrity.
In a separate statement, Aggarwal himself said that the appointment was a recognition of India's collective effort and reflects India's strength of having a robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework. "I am deeply honoured to serve, and look forward to working with the FATF Global Network to keep the international financial system safe, inclusive and resilient," he said.
The news was confirmed by both the Ministry of External Affairs and the Finance Ministry. The move is significant since the FATF is a global body that sets standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. While New Delhi has been a member of the agency since 2010, this is the first time India has held such a position.
“Major win for India in FATF! Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Government of India, has been elected the Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a post on X. Aggarwal will now succeed UK national Giles Thomson, who has been holding the post since July 1, 2025.
A historic milestone for India on the global stage! 🇮🇳
Shri Vivek Aggarwal (IAS), Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GOI, has been elected as the Vice-President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), marking the very first time India will hold this apex leadership position.… pic.twitter.com/F7JqXkRJnu
— Ministry of Culture (@MinOfCultureGoI) June 19, 2026
Here's what to know about the distinguished IAS officer:
Who is Vivek Aggarwal?
Aggarwal is a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, who has served as the head of the Indian delegation to the FATF in the past. He has also been the director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
Interestingly, he was serving as an additional secretary in the Union finance ministry when India's last mutual evaluation report was published in 2024. The FATF eventually lauded India and stated that its assessment of the country's measures to tackle illicit finance found that it has implemented an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) framework that is achieving good results.
In his statement, Jaiswal said that Aggarwal has "profound expertise" as the former head of India's FATF delegation and will advance the organisation's mandate to secure financial integrity.
In a separate statement, Aggarwal himself said that the appointment was a recognition of India's collective effort and reflects India's strength of having a robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework. "I am deeply honoured to serve, and look forward to working with the FATF Global Network to keep the international financial system safe, inclusive and resilient," he said.
