Sanjay Jaju to Succeed K Ramakrishna Rao as Telangana Chief Secretary; Rao Tipped for Hyderabad Metro Chair

Sanjay Jaju, a 1992-batch IAS officer, will assume charge as the new Chief Secretary of Telangana on July 1, 2026, succeeding K. Ramakrishna Rao, who retires from service on June 30 upon attaining superannuation. Rao, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre, is expected to be appointed Chairman of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited after his retirement.

The Chief Secretary of Telangana is the state's senior-most civil servant, responsible for coordinating activity across all departments, advising the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers on administrative matters, and overseeing delivery in a state with a population of over 3.5 crore and a gross state domestic product that places it among India's top industrial economies. Telangana, formed in 2014 as India's 29th state, has built administrative capacity across departments over a compressed timeline, making the CS position particularly demanding in terms of multi-departmental coordination.

Rao served as Chief Secretary through a period that included the 2023 state assembly election and the transition to a new government — a period requiring careful administrative continuity across departments. His expected appointment as Chairman of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited would place an experienced administrator at the helm of an organisation managing over 70 km of elevated metro rail and managing ridership recovery and network expansion simultaneously.

Jaju, as the 1992-batch officer in line by seniority, is the natural successor. He has held senior positions in the Telangana government, building familiarity with the state's governance priorities across revenue administration, urban development, and industrial investment facilitation. Telangana is among India's leading destinations for pharmaceutical, information technology, and aerospace investment, with the Chief Secretary's office playing a central role in facilitating large investor commitments.

The transition also arrives as Telangana manages fiscal consolidation alongside sustained capital expenditure commitments on infrastructure and welfare schemes introduced by the current government. The incoming Chief Secretary will need to balance these priorities within the state's medium-term fiscal framework.

Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited operates the city's metro network under a public-private partnership framework and is in the process of planning corridor extensions. Rao's administrative experience would provide leadership continuity at HMRL as the organisation works through its expansion and operational funding challenges. Formal appointment orders are expected before June 30, 2026.