( India's Presidential Candidate for IFAD )

DR. Shobhana Kumar Pattanayak


Born in Odisha, India on September 23, 1958, Dr S K Pattanayak has been in the Administrative Services under the Government of India. He superannuated as the Secretary to Government of India in the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, New Delhi, in September 2018. He is a warm person and an affable leader and remains most popular among his staff.

An accomplished policy-maker, doable planner and an inspiring leader, Dr Pattanayak, as an Administrator had handled a wide variety of assignments at the grassroots and national levels within India and internationally, being entrusted with increased responsibilities in a career of over his thirty-six years of service starting from 1984 to 2018.


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He held several senior leadership positions within various Ministries and Departments under the Government of India and Government of Karnataka. Hailing from the rainfed dry, Odisha, and working in northern Karnataka, Dr Pattanayak experienced first-hand the harshness and suffering of the vast majority of the rural and vulnerable people. That motivated and encouraged Dr Pattanayak a lifelong mission and passion for engaging in development efforts that are sustainable, transformative and affordable to the vulnerable sections of the rural masses

Dr. Pattanayak gained considerable experience in contributing to policy level interventions in international organizations like FAO, WFP and IFAD in varying capacities during his three-year tenure as Minister (Agriculture) with India’s Embassy in Rome

He has been providing strategic, operational and financial leadership to national and provincial level institutions with sizeable human, financial and material resources that have been targeting and achieving poverty reduction, agriculture development and improved quality of life for the rural poor in India.

He has gained substantial experience in resource mobilization, grant and loan management and partnership building between international development agencies, governments, NGOs, Private Sector and research institutions.

Dr Pattanayak contributed to the efficacy of other organizations with missions to advance the wellbeing of vulnerable populations and the health of the planet. He has been very active in shaping the future of global food security and agriculture as a member of the Board of several organisations within India and with IFAD and WFP.

DR Shobhana Pattanayak

Born in Odisha, India on September 23, 1958, Dr S K Pattanayak has been in the Administrative Services under the Government of India. He superannuated as the Secretary to Government of India in the Department of Agriculture Read more

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Contact information

Dr S.K. Pattanayak C-12, 1stC Main, IAS Colony, Sector-6, HSR Layout, Bengaluru-560102, INDIA
www.shobhanakpattanayak.in