Sachin Pilot (October 28, 2012 – present)
Sachin Pilot, a member of the Indian National Congress, has served as Minister of Corporate Affairs since October 28, 2012.
Although he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ajmer, Rajasthan, Pilot was born in 1977 in Saharanpur, in Uttar Pradesh’s far northwest corner. The son of a prominent Congress leader, Pilot comes from a family of ethnic Gujjars, an OBC group and Scheduled Tribe that was traditionally nomadic, moving through much of western South Asia.
Despite his clan’s humble roots, Pilot’s upbringing exemplifies the modern Indian political princeling – educated at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, where he studied English literature, and then at the prestigious Wharton School of Business, at the University of Pennsylvania. He also served stints with the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) and General Motors, the U.S.-based multinational. In 2010, he spoke at the high-level World Economic Forum, in Switzerland.
Pilot’s official biography lists his profession as “agriculturalist,” although it is unclear why. (though his father famously began his career delivering milk, after which he also changed his named from Yadav to the more impressive-sounding “Pilot”).
Pilot was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004, when he was just 26 years old, making him the youngest ever member of Parliament. A member of the Indian National Congress, in October 2012, he was appointed minister of Corporate Affairs, having already served as minister of state for Communications and Information Technology since 2009. With the elevation of Pilot to his current position, the Congress party leadership, particularly Sonia Gandhi, was seen as wanting to emphasize a youthful, savvy figure, particularly in the run-up to the December 2013 assembly elections in the key state of Rajasthan, which he represents.
In late 2012, Pilot became the first sitting union minister to become a regular officer in the Territorial Army (a volunteer brigade that functions as backup, as necessary, to the Indian Army), being commissioned as a lieutenant and thus following his father’s example into the military, something he had long stated he wanted to do. During his relatively short period in office, Pilot has been seen as intelligent, able and thoughtful, even shy, but also a figure given to rewarding loyalty over competence – at times, even at the expense of his party. Yet as India’s fast transformation to a high-tech society continues apace, Pilot’s technical knowhow, coupled with his current position, have led many to applaud his advocacy work for digital and online rights.
Pilot has also married into a prominent political family. His wife is Sara Abdullah, the sister of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the daughter of Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah.
