Indian official Vivek Aggarwal was elected Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force on Friday. — the first time that the country will hold such a post. New Delhi has been a member of the global body  to combat money laundering and terror financing since 2010.

The Indian bureaucrat was elected during the FATF Plenary on Friday. He will take over the role from UK representative Giles Thomson in July — while the latter takes over as President. Aggarwal is currently the Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, and a former Head of the Indian Delegation to the FATF. 

“This appointment is a recognition of India’s collective effort and of the strength of our 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,” ANI quoted him as saying.

Who is Vivek Aggarwal?

The newly elected FATF vice president is a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. He currently serves as the Secretary in the Ministry of Culture in the Government of India and previously led the Indian delegation to the global task force.

The appointment is being viewed as a reflection of India’s enhanced credibility within the FATF Global Network of over 200 jurisdictions, built on its strong performance in recent Mutual Evaluations and active participation in shaping global policy responses to emerging financial risks, including virtual assets and digital payment systems.

Welcoming the development, Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivatsava termed it a proud milestone and reiterated India’s commitment to strengthening the integrity of the global financial system.

The FATF, headquartered in Paris, is the global standard-setting body responsible for developing and promoting policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Its Presidency runs on a two-year term, with the Vice-President supporting the President in executing the organisation’s mandate.

India’s elevation to the Vice-Presidency is seen as a major diplomatic and institutional milestone, underscoring its expanding leadership role in global financial governance.