NEW DELHI: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is set for a change at the top, with the Centre appointing senior IAS officer Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani (Pic above) as its New Chairman, while incumbent Chairman Shri Sunil Paliwal has been moved to the Department of Youth Affairs as Secretary.
The appointments are part of a fresh round of senior-level bureaucratic changes approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). The reshuffle involves several Secretary-level appointments across key departments of the Government of India.
Paliwal, a 1993-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. He had been serving as Chairman of IWAI and had assumed charge of the position in December 2025.
His move to Youth Affairs marks another significant central assignment in a career spanning senior administrative responsibilities in both the Tamil Nadu Government and the maritime sector. Before joining IWAI, Paliwal served as Chairperson of the Chennai Port Authority and Chairman of Kamarajar Port Limited, bringing extensive experience in port administration and infrastructure development to his tenure at IWAI.
Lohani to Lead Inland Waterways Development
Succeeding Paliwal at IWAI is Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre. Lohani has been appointed Chairman of IWAI in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India, with the position being temporarily upgraded to the Secretary level to facilitate the appointment.
Lohani brings nearly three decades of administrative experience across state and central government assignments. His previous responsibilities have included senior positions in Odisha as well as central government roles involving rural governance, labour and employment, fertilisers and infrastructure-related institutions.
During his tenure in Odisha, Lohani held important positions including Chief Electoral Officer and Principal Secretary-level responsibilities in the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water sectors. At the Centre, he has served in senior roles including Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
His broad administrative experience is expected to provide a strong foundation as he takes charge of IWAI, the nodal authority responsible for the development, regulation and promotion of India’s inland waterways.
A Crucial Phase for India’s Inland Waterways
The leadership transition comes at an important juncture for India’s inland water transport sector, which is receiving increasing policy attention as the country seeks to expand multimodal logistics, reduce transportation costs, improve cargo connectivity and promote more sustainable modes of freight movement.
With the government continuing to focus on strengthening national waterways and integrating inland water transport with road and rail networks, the IWAI Chairman’s role assumes strategic importance in advancing infrastructure, navigability, terminal development and cargo movement on India’s waterways.
Lohani’s appointment therefore comes at a time when inland waterways are increasingly being positioned as an important component of India’s broader logistics and transportation architecture.
At the same time, Paliwal’s appointment as Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, takes his administrative experience into a new policy domain at the national level.
The latest appointments underline the Centre’s continuing efforts to place experienced senior bureaucrats in key strategic positions, with both officers bringing substantial administrative experience to their respective new assignments.
