TBM Staff - Mumbai IAS officer of the 1996 Kerala cadre, Suman Billa, former Joint Secretary with the Union Ministry of Tourism has been reinstated as Additional Secretary at the central department. His appointment comes as a replacement for Rakesh Kumar Verma, a distinguished IAS officer of the 1993 Punjab Cadre, who previously served as Joint Secretary within the Ministry before his elevation to Additional Secretary. Verma has transitioned to the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation in a similar capacity.
In his new role, Billa is expected to oversee a wide array of responsibilities, including international cooperation, event management, Swadesh Darshan, niche tourism, information technology, overseas marketing, and the hospitality sector, among others.
This marks Billa’s second tenure at the Union Ministry of Tourism, having previously served from 2014 to 2019 as Joint Secretary. He brings with him a wealth of experience, having also served at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), where he held the position of Director, Technical Cooperation and Silk Road. Billa’s expertise in tourism extends further back to his time with Kerala Tourism, underscoring his deep-rooted commitment to advancing the sector’s growth and development.
