India Secures FATF Vice-Presidency for First Time, Marking Major Diplomatic Milestone

India has been elected to the Vice-Presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the country’s global financial diplomacy.

The Government of India announced that Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture and a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, will serve as FATF Vice-President for a one-year term from July 2026 to June 2027.

The appointment was made by the FATF Plenary and reflects India’s increasing engagement in global efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other illicit financial activities.

Vivek Aggarwal has previously headed India’s delegation to FATF and served as Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND), the country’s nodal agency responsible for analysing suspicious financial transactions.

Headquartered in Paris, FATF is the world’s leading intergovernmental body that sets standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. Its global network comprises more than 200 jurisdictions.

India became a full member of FATF in 2010 and has steadily expanded its role within the organisation. The country’s 2024 FATF mutual evaluation report acknowledged significant progress in strengthening anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing systems.

As Vice-President, India will support FATF’s leadership in advancing international cooperation and addressing emerging challenges such as digital payments, virtual assets and cross-border financial crimes.

The appointment is being viewed as a major diplomatic achievement that reinforces India’s growing profile in global financial governance and international efforts to safeguard the integrity of the financial system.