Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission, was on Monday appointed the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi replacing Anil Baijal. He is the first man from the corporate and social sector to be selected for such a gubernatorial post. He is the person who made Khadi a global brand. President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday issued a notification to this effect.
“The President of India has accepted the resignation of Shri Anil Baijal as Lt Governor of National Capital Territory of Delhi. “The President of India has been pleased to appoint Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena to be the Lt Governor of National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” read a communiqué issued by Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Baijal, who was appointed as the Delhi Lieutenant Governor in 2016, resigned last week citing personal reasons. Baijal’s resignation has led to speculation about who will replace him. Praful Patel, the administrator of Lakshwadeep and Daman & Diu, was the top choice for the top post but the appointment of Saxena surprised everyone in the political circle.
The role of Lieutenant Governor of Delhi had been at the heart of an all-out power tussle between Delhi’s AAP Government and the BJP, which rules at the Centre, for years until a landmark Supreme Court judgment in 2018 that spelled out their powers more clearly.
Saxena is a well-known name in the Indian corporate and social sector with over three decades of vast experience. During his tenure as chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), it has clocked a turnover of Rs 1.15 lakh crore in 2021-22, much higher than any FMCG company in the country. This massive turnover of KVIC has come despite a partial lockdown in the country in April-June in 2021, due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Compared to 2014-15, the overall production in Khadi and Village Industry in 2021-22 has registered a whopping growth of 172 per cent while the gross sales during this period increased by over 248 per cent with a massive 40 lakh new employment was created in just seven years.
He is the person who made Khadi a global brand. He was appointed as the chairman of KVIC in October 2015 where he explored the untapped streams of Khadi and Village industry sectors and first time implemented many innovative employment-generation schemes like 'Honey Mission', 'Kumhaar Sashaktikaran Yojana' and 'Leather Artisans' Empowerment Scheme’ that won accolades from all quarters.
Born in an educated and reputed Kayastha family of Uttar Pradesh, Saxena graduated from Kanpur University in 1981 and held a Pilot Licence.
Saxena started his career in 1984 as an Assistant Officer in Rajasthan with JK Group. After working for 11 years in different capacities with its White Cement plant, he was elevated in 1995 as General Manager to look after the proposed Port Project in Gujarat. He then rapidly rose to become the CEO and was later promoted as Director of the Dholera Port Project. He founded a widely acclaimed NGO, namely National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) in 1991 with its headquarters at Ahmedabad.
NCCL posed stiff opposition, legally and socially to the opponents of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) on Narmada Valley, which was the lifeline of Gujarat.
In recognition of his sharp social, cultural, political, and administrative acumen, the government of India nominated Saxena to several prestigious committees and panels.
On March 5, 2021, he was appointed as one a Member of the National Committee to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India's Independence. In November 2020, Saxena was nominated as a Member of the High Powered Padma Awards Selection Committee for the year 2021. From 2016 to 2022, he was nominated every year as a Member of the 'Empowered Committee' for evaluation of "Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration".
On September 9, 2020, Saxena was nominated as a Member of the "Governing Council" of the prestigious "Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). On March 18, 2019, the Hon'ble President of India, in his capacity as Visitor of the University, nominated Saxena as a "Member of University Court" of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
During his six-decade journey so far, Saxena has also won several awards for his accomplishments. In May 2008, he won International Felicitation by United Nations Decade of Sustainable Development (UNDESD) in association with UNESCO, UNICEF and UNDP for “Outstanding Contribution to Environment Protection and Water Security” in Gujarat.
In May 2007, Saxena’s NGO - NCCL won the prestigious UN-HABITAT-supported Dubai International Award for Best Practices for its unique project “Mission ENDURE” to reduce dust pollution in Ahmedabad City.