Shimla
The Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India has announced that the Securities and Exchange Board of India has approved the appointment of retired IAS officer Upma Dada Chowdhry as the Chairperson of the Governing Board of MSE.
With the appointment, Chowdhry becomes the only woman chairperson among India’s Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs), marking a significant milestone in the country’s financial and regulatory landscape.
A 1983-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, Chowdhry brings over 35 years of administrative and governance experience spanning finance, rural development, education, industry, tourism, women’s empowerment and public sector reforms.
Her distinguished career includes serving as the first woman Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in 2016. She has also represented India at international forums, including the World Trade Organization, and worked closely with several United Nations agencies. Between 2018 and 2021, she served as a member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration and chaired the working group for the UN Public Service Awards.
Chowdhry has served on the boards of several reputed institutions and companies, contributing significantly to governance reforms and organisational development.
Welcoming the appointment, Latika S. Kundu, Managing Director and CEO of MSE, said Chowdhry’s vast experience in public service, governance and institution-building would provide strategic strength to the exchange as it advances its vision of building a transparent, innovative and inclusive market infrastructure institution.
The appointment is being viewed as a significant recognition of administrative excellence and leadership, particularly for Himachal Pradesh, whose cadre officers have played important roles in governance and public policy at the national level.
