NEW DELHI: India on Friday secured the vice presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog that sets standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, in a significant feat in its engagement with the international financial security architecture.
The appointment was announced at the conclusion of the FATF plenary meeting held at its headquarters in Paris from June 17-19, where delegates from more than 200 jurisdictions and observer bodies deliberated on emerging threats to global financial integrity and security.
Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the incoming Vice-President of FATF for the 2026-27 term.
He will succeed UK national Giles Thomson, who currently holds the post.
“Members approved the priorities of the FATF under the incoming UK presidency, and appointed Vivek Aggarwal of India as the incoming Vice-President of the FATF (July 2026--June 2027),” the FATF said in a statement.
India, which became a member of FATF in 2010, will occupy this leadership position for the first time. A senior official noted that Aggarwal is no stranger to the body.
“He has earlier led the Indian delegation to FATF and has been closely associated with India’s engagements on anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing frameworks,” the official said.
Aggarwal was also serving as an additional secretary in the Union Finance Ministry at the time of India’s latest mutual evaluation report, published in 2024.
The report had praised India’s performance in tackling illicit finance, stating that the country had “implemented an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework that is achieving good results.”
Reinforcing the strategic significance of the appointment, the Ministry of External Affairs said India’s elevation reflects its broader global security commitments.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “As India continues to champion a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, this leadership role reinforces our relentless focus on combating global terrorist financing networks and dismantling illicit financial systems.”
The vice presidency is expected to give India a stronger voice in shaping global standards on financial transparency, illicit fund flows, and counter-terror financing at a time when digital payments, crypto assets and cross-border financial crime are increasingly under scrutiny.