Suresh Prabhu

Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu
Minister of Civil Aviation
Assumed office
12 March 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Preceded by Ashok Gajapathi Raju
Minister of Commerce and Industry
Assumed office
3 September 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Preceded by Nirmala Sitaraman
Minister of Railways
In office
9 November 2014 – 3 September 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Preceded by D. V. Sadananda Gowda
Succeeded by Piyush Goyal
Minister of Power
In office
30 September 2000 – 24 August 2002
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by Rangarajan Kumaramangalam
Succeeded by Anant Geete
MP of Rajya Sabha for Haryana
In office
29 November 2014 – 21 June 2016
Preceded by Ranbir Singh Parjapati
Succeeded by Dr. Subhash Chandra
MP of Rajya Sabha for Andhra Pradesh[1]
Assumed office
22 June 2016
Preceded by Nirmala Sitharaman
Member of the Indian Parliament
for Rajapur
In office
1996–2009
Preceded by Sudhir Sawant
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1953-07-11) 11 July 1953
Bombay, Bombay State, India
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party (2014–present)
Other political
affiliations		 Shiv Sena (before 2014)
Spouse(s) Uma Prabhu (m. 1984)
Children One Son
Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra
Alma mater University of Mumbai
ICAI
Profession Chartered accountant, social worker, educationist
Website www.sureshprabhu.in

Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu (born 11 July 1953) is an Indian politician and currently serving as the Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, under the Modi government[2] and he was serving also as the Minister of Railways (India) .He is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Since 1996, Prabhu has been a repeatedly elected Member of Parliament from Rajapur Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra as a member of the Shiv Sena (SS) political party. He quit Shiv Sena and joined BJP on 9 November 2014.[3] He currently represents Andhra Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha. He is also a part of the Hon. Board of Advisors of IIMUN.[4]

Education and career

Suresh Prabhu completed his school from Sharadashram Vidya Mandir, Dadar, Mumbai, followed by a Bachelor in Commerce with Honours from M.L. Dahanukar College, Vile Parle, Mumbai.[5] He received a Bachelor in Law degree from the New Law College (Ruparel College campus), Mumbai.[6] Prabhu is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He was All India 11th (eleventh) rank holder in CA exam.[5][7][8] He has been conferred Honorary Doctorate degrees by Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Haryana[9] and IFRI. He is also pursuing Ph.D. in Climate Change issues in relation to Energy and Environment from Frei University, Berlin and in State Public Finance from Mumbai University, Mumbai.

Prabhu has held several government and semi government positions, which includes Chairmanship of Maharashtra State Finance Commission, Saraswat Co-operative Bank, Member of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Board, among others. He is a part of 16 global organizations and 9 strategic dialogues which include:

  • Global Water Partnership
  • GLOBE, UK
  • World Economic Forum (WEF)
  • Global Industries Council
  • UN Advisor
  • United Nations Development Program
  • United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
  • Global Forum For Farmers, President
  • Strategic Dialogues
  • Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service
  • Skolkovo Foundation
  • Asia Energy Forum
  • United Nations Committee of Biodiversity
  • World Federation of UNESCO

Political career and Achievements

He was, at various times during the Premiership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee of 1998 to 2004, Industry Minister, Minister of Environment and Forests, Minister of Fertilizers & Chemicals, Power, Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises. He has won praise for his performance as the Union Minister for Power.[3] On 9 November 2014, he was sworn-in as Cabinet minister in Narendra Modi government. He was the Union Railway Minister of India from November 2014 to September 2017.[10][11] He is the incumbent minister of Commerce and Industry since September 2017. He was elected as Rajya Sabha member from the state of Andhra Pradesh on 3 June 2016.[12] He took the charge as the Union Minister of Civil Aviation on the 10 March 2018 in the Narendra Modi government.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Government of India (2018 - Present)

Enanching Regional Connectivity through the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) Innovative Scheme

→Successfully implementing a first-of-its-kind regional air connectivity scheme UDAN with the vision of making flying affordable and accessible for the common Indian citizen across the country.

→UDAN Phase I & II focussed on making regional air travel affordable and on the revival of several brownfield airports and air routes in partnership with respective State Governments and airlines. Passenger fares for 50% of the UDAN seats are capped at Rs. 2,500 for an hour long flight to enhance affordability and connectivity.

→UDAN Phase III launched to provide further boost to tourism and connectivity in popular tourist and religious destinations.

→UDAN Phase IV being implemented with the focus on helipad development and expanding helicopter services to hinterlands.

Expanding airport capacity and infrastructure under NABH (Next-gen Airports for BHarat) Nirman

→Undertaking a comprehensive aviation capacity expansion program NABH NIRMAN envisaged to cater to one billion air passengers over the next decade.

→In-principle approval accorded for construction of 19 green-field airports – Pune, Mopa Goa, Jewar, etc. Over Rs. 1 lakh crore of capex already in-placeover the next 5 years.

→Introduced a new transaction structure for future greenfield airports based on ‘Maximum Blended Aeronautical Yield’ (MBAY) model which will help boost investment, improve the quality of services at airports and unlock the huge potential in the Indian aviation sector[13].

Working to ensure hassle-free air travel through customer centric through "AirSewa"

→Introduced the first ever Passenger Charter conceptualized in Indian Aviation history which lays down the rights and responsibilities of air passengers and standards for service delivery by aviation stakeholders.

→Approval of e-boarding facility for domestic fliers to reduce waiting time for baggage check-in and security clearance.

→Launched DigiYata aimed at developing a digital eco-system that will deliver Indian customers a pioneering ‘digitally unified flying experience’ at every touch point of their journey.

→Launched AirSewa, an integrated portal focussed on qualitative customer grievance redressal, disseminating real time data, integrated back-office operations, better airport facilities and superior digital travel experience.

Civil Aviation "Vision 2035" [14]

→Preparing a holistic “Vision - 2035” document for Civil Aviation to meet the growing needs of India aviation sector which is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Various issues to be addressed include congestion at airports, runways and airspace; development of unserved and under-served airports; ways and means to boost the air connectivity to small cities and towns.

Promoting innovation in the UAV industry in India: Drone Regulations for commercial operations[15]

→Launched the Drone Regulations in India to enable the safe, commercial usage of drones starting December 1, 2018.

→Formulated an all-digital process for registering and operating of drones. The Digital Sky Platform is the first-of-its-kind national unmanned traffic management (UTM) platform that implements “no permission, no takeoff” (NPNT). Users will be required to do a one-time registration of their drones, pilots and owners.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Government of India (2017 - Present)

Trade promotion: Taking steps towards a more focused approach towards export promotion.

Working on Agriculture Export Policy to address barriers in the agricultural sector

→Working on the introduction of a State Led Export policy in a bid to boost trade related cooperative federalism.

→The Agri export policy will identify top agricultural commodities and products on the basis of current global and Indian trade. Each commodity would be studied in detail based on five key criteria: global trade, five-year impact potential, India’s current competitiveness, scope for value addition and future market potential.

→Working on various strategic and operational recommendations which include Policy Measures, Infrastructure and Logistics Boost, Focus on Clusters, Marketing and promotion of “Produce of India” and Geographical Indications, Establishment of Strong Quality Regimen, etc.

·Boosting domestic manufacturing

→ Working on creating a master plan for Make in India 2.0 with to boost domestic manufacturing with an ultimate target of creating a million plus jobs in the next year.

→Spearheading the upcoming Industrial Policy which is aimed at sustaining and generating gainful employment and sustainable livelihoods by creating a globally competitive Indian industry which is futuristic, modern and enabled by right regulations. The Policy will take into account various aspects which are crucial to the overall development of industries in India which will include enhancing Industrial Infrastructure, setting a National R&D vision, 'Design In India', Boosting SME-driven innovation and labour and skill development to name a few.

Development of Logistics Sector

→Actively working with various line Ministries and stakeholders in the logistics industry to improve the logistics infrastructure in India and significantly reduce logistics cost to make exports more globally competitive. To further this cause a National Logistics Policy is being prepared under the Ministry's recently created Logistics Division.

→The National Logistics Policy is being framed with the vision to drive economic growth and trade competitiveness of the country through a truly integrated, seamless, efficient, reliable and cost-effective logistics network, leveraging best in class technology, processes and skilled manpower.

Investment Promotion

→Institutionalizing an Investment War Room to reinforcing the efforts towards increasing the Ease of Doing Business in India for both foreign and domestic players.

·Evidence informed policy making

→ Setting up a dedicated Data Analytics Unit under the ministry, which will assist decision makers at the top level in driving short-term and long-term data/ evidence driven policy making.

·Trade promotion: Taking steps towards a more focused approach towards export promotion

→ Advocated the promotion of multi-lateral trading system under WTO and as India's representative organised the Informal WTO Mini Ministerial Meeting on March 19th-20th, 2018.

Union Minister for Railways, Government of India (2014-2017)

Prabhu headed the world’s third largest Rail network transporting over 23 Million people daily having an employee base of over 1.3 Million people and working on the vision of transforming India through transforming Railways aptly named as ‘Rail Badhe, Desh Badhe’.

Customer Focus: Historically known to be less responsive towards customers, changed the approach of Indian Railways from “Passengers” to “Customers”   

→Successfully introduced, now widely acclaimed, real time customer complaint resolution mechanism through social media.

→Introduced a host of innovative customer friendly measures ranging from E-catering, Water vending machines, Clean my Coach service , Automatic Ticket Vending Machines and significantly improved coach designs.

→Introduced specialized product offerings for passengers catering to their specific needs such as Tejas trains, Antyodya express, UDAY and Humsafar trains.

→Introduced one of the world’s cheapest travel insurance plan for passengers which has now been made free of cost.

→‘VIKALP’, Alternative Train Accommodation System (ATAS) launched with a view to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers.

→Launched an integrated mobile app for all Railway related services.

→High speed free Wi-Fi launched at 140+ stations.

→Launched new catering policy.

→1,55,949 additional berths made available in last 3 years through coach augmentation.

→Took many initiatives for Divyangs: Braille signage, toilets, E-wheelchair, battery operated cars, policy allowing Divyangs to avail concession even while travelling without escort.

→Janani Sewa launched to provide services to mothers of infants.

→Introduced Single person accountability introduced for all facilities on trains.

→Launched Mission Retrofit to revamp 40,000 coaches.

Planning and Investment: Effected a paradigm shift in Railways project financing by leveraging Extra Budgetary Resources including various innovative measures

→Negotiated a very attractive loan from Life Insurance Corporation of India for Rs 1.5 lakh Crore. It was unprecedented in IR’s history, when Extra Budgetary funding was leveraged to fuel investment growth.

→Led formation of Joint Ventures with States to support rail infrastructure creation.

→Secured a soft loan from JICA to the tune of $12 Billion with 15 years moratorium, 50 year repayment period and 0.1% interest rate for development of first of its kind in India, High Speed Rail between Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

→Achieved a record of over Rs. 10,000 Cr of cost savings in 2015-16 by adopting various measures like direct sourcing of power and driving rigorous cost optimization programmes.

→100 % FDI allowed in identified areas of railway sector.

→Initiated merger of rail budget with general budget as part of reform agenda.

→Chaired various Roundtable discussions to reach out to Railways’ stakeholders, seek and incorporate their feedback.

Infrastructure Creation: Led Railways to achieve a quantum jump in infrastructure creation spending and improving connectivity

→Substantially increased the average km broad gauge lines commissioned to 7.7 km/day against past average of 4.3 km/day.

→Commissioned 7,666 km of Broad Gauge lines in last three years.

→Achieved record performance in electrification, capital investment and contracts awarded

→Massive connectivity projects executed to connect difficult terrain and uncertain geology like J&K and north east. Increased annual line commissioning from an average of 100 km to over 500 km

→Commissioned highest ever 45 freight terminals in 2016-17 with total of 109 in last three years

→Commissioned highest ever 1306 Road Over Bridges and subways in 2016-17, total 3486 in last 3 years

→Leading Station Redevelopment Program:Largest transit oriented development program across the world worth Rs 1,00,000 Crores to redevelop 400 stations

→Launched Final Location survey for BG line rail connectivity for the Chardham Pilgrimage

→Final Location survey for BG line rail connectivity between Manali and Leh

→Piloted Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)- Phase III project to augment infra in Mumbai suburban rail

Sustainability: Effectively made sustainability an integral part of Railways strategy

→Diversified Railways energy consumption basket to include renewable energy sources and energy efficient equipments with a vision to source at least 25% energy use from renewable energy sources by 2020

→Effected direct procurement of about 750 MW of power by Ministry of Railways under Open Access, reduction in Traction power bill of Rs. 1400 Crore

→Provided 69,200 bio-toilets in trains in the last three years ,record number of 34078 Bio Toilets provided in 2016-17

→Led a major cleanliness drive Swachh Bharat, Swachh Rail to enhance cleanliness and aesthetics at trains, railway stations and tracks. First time third party ranking of cleanliness of stations was conducted

→New Water policy launched for restoration of water bodies, establishing water recycling plants, rain water harvesting, efficient water usage, automatic coach washing plants etc

→Launched Mission 41K to achieve savings of Rs. 41k Cr through energy efficiency

→10 MW Solar Plants installed. Massive solarisation (1000 MW Solar Power Plants) planned

Governance and Transparency: Staunch advocate for transparency, leveraged technology and delegation to improve governance in Railways

→Spearheaded the largest ever online recruitment in the world

→Delegated powers to functional levels and achieved 75% reduction in project approval duration

→Successfully established 100% E-procurement in Indian Railways

→Expanded the scope and expedited the implementation of accounting reforms in Indian Railways

→Process of transfers and postings in key positions made absolutely transparent

→Effected monitoring of zonal railways through MoUs based on quantifiable performance parameters

→Launched “Nivaran”, an online platform for employees to lodge their grievances

Union Minister for Power, Government of India (2000-2002)

As Minister of Power, Prabhu introduced major reforms in India's power sector.[16]

Power  Generation Augmentation

→Prepared an action plan for creation of an additional capacity of 1,00,000 MW to give power on demand by 2012

→Executed resource planning for building additional power generation capacity. Took steps to set up alternate payment security mechanism for the investors as an interim resource mobilization strategy

→Set up Power Projects Monitoring Committee  to expedite speed of commissioning of generation facilities

→Renovation and Modernization action plan formulated for 170 thermal power units and 35 hydro units with total generation capacity of 14,000MW

Policy Measures

→Transformed the Indian power sector by introducing the landmark Electricity Bill 2001 which provided for non-discriminatory open access in the transmission segment and mandated State Electricity Regulatory Commissions to introduce open access in distribution after taking into consideration state-specific conditions. This legislation enhanced India’s power generation capacity and private investments in power sector. Executed resource planning for building additional power generation capacity. Took steps to set up alternate payment security mechanism for the investors as an interim resource mobilization strategy

→Initiatives taken which resulted in signing of MoUs with States for undertaking reforms and restructuring in a time bound manner

→Instrumental in the implementation of the landmark tripartite agreement which allowed the Union government to recover the amounts due from the states by deducting them from central devolution

→Executed the Accelerated Power Development Program (APDP) in order to improve operational efficiency of old generating stations through renovation/modernization and reduce the transmission and distribution losses

→Implemented a special aid package under the Accelerated Power Development Program for the reforming States in order to encourage distribution reforms

→Formed National Power Grid to enable power transfer from power surplus regions to power deficit regions and enable optimal development and utilization of coal and hydro resources economically

→Undertook policy measures to accelerate hydro power development by laying emphasis on basin-wise development

Rural Electrification

→Instrumental in preparation of a seven-year Action Plan for Rural Electrification to complete electrification of all villages in the country

→Setting up credit support from Rural Electrification Corporation to State Electricity Boards for speedy electrification of dalit bastis, households of scheduled tribes and other weaker sections of society

→Improved the quality of power supply in villages by strengthening of the distribution network in partnership with Rural Electrification Corporation

→Augmented resources of REC by allowing it to float capital gains tax exemption bonds

Encouraging Investments

→FDI in transmission encouraged through two routes: Joint Ventures and through Independent Power Transmission Corporation (IPTC)

→Amended the Indian Electricity Act, 1998 to enable private sector participation in transmission

→Issued guidelines to all states on captive power development, keeping in mind the needs of industry and interest of economy

→Prepared specific plan to ensure financial closure of IPPs

Distribution Reforms

→Prepared a holistic six level intervention strategy for distribution reforms in power sector and strengthening State Electricity Boards

→On commercial front, took action to ensure tamper proof meters, operationalised energy accounting, implemented decentralized computerized billing system

→On technical front, ensured conversion of the existing distribution network into a high voltage distribution system, re-conductoring of overloaded lines, power factor correction, GIS network

→Effected restructuring of manpower to rationalize and fix accountability

Sustainable Power Development

→Set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to take up afforestation and stipulated environmental measures

→Took steps to enhance use of fly ash products in Government infrastructure projects

→Partnered with Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) to address various aspects of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

Union Cabinet Minister for Environment and Forests, Government of India (1998-1999)

Prevention and control of pollution:

→Instrumental in preparation of a comprehensive National Environment Action Plan having time bound programs for abatement of pollution in the country

→Introduced 100% centrally funded Schemes for reducing pollution in 22 major cities of India

→Introduced unleaded petrol in National Capital Territory to control pollution levels

→Instrumental in setting up of Indian Centre for the Promotion of Cleaner Technologies (ICPC) in association with the World Bank, industries, academic institution and other agencies

→Formed Environment Surveillance Squads in the Central Pollution Control Board to enforce pollution control systems on polluting industries

Environment Clearances:

→Streamlined procedures for environmental clearances and introduced transparency by bringing all works regarding environment and forest clearances on Internet

→Instrumental in strengthening the monitoring system for achieving better compliance of stipulated conditions in environmental clearances

→Issued notification to make Environmental Impact Assessment compulsory for 29 developmental activities

→Instrumental in project involving Asian Development Bank for strengthening Environment Impact Assessment and Environment Legislation

Legislative Initiatives:

→Instrumental in preparation of a draft Biological Diversity Act for conservation, sustainable utilization and equitable sharing of biological resources

→Finalized the Hazardous Waste Management Rules, Solid Waste Management Rules & Biomedical Waste Management Rules

→Prepared draft “Recycled Plastics Usage Rules” which envisaged prohibiting/restricting the use of plastics

→Examined the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules

Conservation of Natural Resources:

→Prepared a detailed action plan for achieving 33% forest cover in the country

→Set up the National Committee for identification of Eco-sensitive zones

→Launched the Bamboo Development Plan for the country

→Revised Project “Modern Forest Fire Control Methods” to effectively prevent forest fire incidents in the country

→Launched the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) scheme with the objective of utilizing remote sensing technology to monitor natural resources and facilitate sustainable development

→Made Joint Forest Management (JFM) system an integral part of all forestry projects.Created Joint Forest Management Cell to monitor implementation

→Prepared proposal for centrally sponsored ‘Integrated Forest Protection Scheme’

→Prepared National Perspective plan to rehabilitate the forest and non forest wastelands

→Created an Environment Fund to plough back the fines collected for violation of environmental laws

→Successfully ran a nationwide awareness campaign for forest and environment conservation

→Created protection squads in all Project Tiger areas affected by insurgency

→Banned export of antlers of deer and 29 species of medicinal plants

→Financial assistance provided to 28 National Parks and 107 sanctuaries in 23 states

→Launched Project Turtle, a new initiative for the conservation of the Olive Ridley Turtle

→Prepared proposal for Biodiversity Diversity Act after a detailed and transparent consultative process

→Proposed setting up of a Biodiversity Information Network

→Several initiatives taken to improve implementation of Ganga Action Plan and National River Conservation Plan

Union Cabinet Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers (1999-2000)

Fertilizers:

→Instrumental in preparation of long-term fertilizer policy, which would chart the future course of the fertilizer industry by involving all stakeholders

→Undertook new investment appraisal of mega fertilizer projects

→Took measures to encourage technological research to develop environment friendly fertilizers and bio fertilizers

→Set up joint ventures with countries having abundant reserves of Potash, marking a new chapter in India’s quest for self sufficiency in potassic fertilizers

→Gave thrust to closure of sick unviable units, revival of viable ones and disinvestment of non core sectors

→Simplified techno economic clearance guidelines to provide greater transparency and facilitate early attestation of imported goods

→Allowed manufacturers of complex fertilizers to procure urea at a mutually acceptable price from low cost manufacturers of indigenous urea leading to reduction in import of urea

→Set up a high-level expert committee to prepare and monitor the R&D road map

Chemicals:

→Prepared a bill on Chemical Weapons Conventions

→Set up separate environment friendly Chemical Estates for the chemical industry

→Launched INDIACHEM 2000, largest chemical show in India

Pharmaceuticals:

→Set up two high powered committees-The Committee on Drug Pricing and Committee on Pharmaceutical Research and Development

→Instrumental in formulating of a new drug policy with an eye on encouraging competition while ensuring adequate supply of drugs at affordable prices to the people

→Gave special emphasis on Research & Development in the pharmaceuticals sector with an aim to make India an R & D superpower in pharmaceuticals

→Raised the proposal for raising the automatic approval limit of pharmaceutical sector from 51% to 74% in order to increase FDI

→Initiated development of product classification and codification of bulk drugs and formulations for the first time

Petrochemicals:

→Played a proactive role in early commissioning of key infrastructure to improve country’s self reliance in petrochemicals

→Ensured substantial quantity of polymer, PTA and Para Zylene

Union Cabinet Minister for Industry, Government of India (1996-1996)

In a short tenure of 13 days made efforts to create transparency in the functioning of the Ministry and clearance of pending works.

Chairperson, Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers (Cabinet Minister Equivalent), Govt of India (2002-2004)

→Chaired the comprehensive program of Government of India aimed at insuring the country against water stress through linkage of major rivers in the Himalayan and Peninsular regions of the country[17].

→Steered the Task Force towards making an action plan for completion of the feasibility studies and providing guidance on norms of appraisal of individual projects in respect of socio-economic impacts, environmental impacts and economic viability.

→Prepared ground for reaching consensus with the concerned State Governments on the program of interlinking of rivers.

Other Notable Postions Held

Prime Minister’s Sherpa for G20 Summit

→Official emissary of the Prime Minister of India in the G20 forum

→Prepared the official agenda of the Government of India on key issues for G20 Summit

→Pitched for global growth which is accompanied by employment generation

→Called for removal of hurdles in global movement of services

→Instrumental in addressing issues related to climate change

→Called for creating a global centre for dealing with renewable energy

→Called for greater investment into global infrastructure creation

He was elected a member of the World Bank parliamentary network and chaired the South Asia Water regional group of the World Bank.[18] Asia week rated him as one of three future leaders of India.[19]

As a mark of protest against the cancellation of Narendra Modi's keynote address at the Wharton India Economic Forum 2013, he called off his own visit to the University.[3] The NDA government under the leadership of Narendra Modi appointed him first as the head of a high-level panel on power revamp — "Advisory Group for Integrated Development of Power, Coal and Renewable Energy" in July 2014.[20] In August 2014, he was appointed PM Modi's Sherpa. He has been an MP (RS) from Haryana (2014-2016) where As Railway Minister, he started several initiatives in the State of Haryana which included: Infrastructure Spend, Capacity Enhancement, Development Projects, Passenger Amenities and New Lines, Doubling & Electrification. As MP from Andhra Pradesh (2016-present), the initiatives undertaken by him include strategic operation taken across 4 levels namely: Capital

Investments, New Lines, Freight, Improvements and Passenger Amenities.

On 9 November 2014, he was sworn-in as Cabinet minister in Narendra Modi government. He was the Union Railway Minister of India from November 2014 to September 2017.[10][11] He is the incumbent minister of Commerce and Industry since September 2017. He was elected as Rajya Sabha member from the state of Andhra Pradesh on 3 June 2016.[12] He took the charge as the Union Minister of Civil Aviation on the 10 March 2018 in the Narendra Modi government.[21]

Initiatives as Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha)

Rajya Sabha MP: Andhra Pradesh

Shri Suresh Prabhu is elected as the MP of Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh from 22/6/2016 to 21/6/2022.

The Minister sanctioned several projects in the Ministry of Railways for the state of Andhra Pradesh as Minister of Railways and several strategic initiatives were taken from 2016-17 across 4 levels:

·        Capital Investments

·        New Lines

·        Freight Improvements

·        Passenger Amenities

Capital Investments

Annual average capital investment tripled and increased by 195% from Rs. 886 crores in 2009-14 to Rs. 2620 crores in 2014-17.

New Lines Doubling & Electrification

207 kilometers of new railway lines were completed between 2014-17, 6 times of what was achieved in 2009-14. A total of 211 unmanned LCs eliminated from 2014-17 and as many as 17 new trains were sanctioned started in 2014-17

Freight Improvements

3 private sidings were commissioned in the period 2014-17. High-speed network access Wi-fi was provided at 15 stations. 6 railways stations are completely DiGiPAY stations i.e. cashless transactions can be made through BHM, RuPay, and Debit Cards etc.

Passenger Amenities

Passenger security improved with CCTV cameras being installed at 27 major Railway Stations.

The facility of foldable ramp and wheelchairs had been provided to enable the differently-abled passengers. In 2014-17, new station buildings were constructed at 4 stations.

373 railways stations were provided with LED lightning between 2014 and 2017.

In the three years from 2014 to 2017 19 foot-over bridges were constructed 16 escalators were provided 6 lifts were installed and 19 platform extensions were completed.

Hon’ble Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu took over the charge as Minister of Commerce & Industry on 4th Sept 2017. Within a short span, he took various initiatives, which will go a long way to put Andhra Pradesh on the fast track of development

3 Projects were launched and budget was allotted.

Export Promotion- Rs 4 crores was sanctioned and released on 12th September 2017 for establishment of Common Scientific Facilities in Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone, Visakhapatnam.

CII Partnership Summit- Rs 4.30 lakh crore worth of MoU for projects were undertaken at the event and are expected to generate over 11 Lakh jobs in this area. Foundation was laid for the development of two industrial clusters in the state to develop an automobile-manufacturing hub.

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade & Indian Institute of Packaging -Laid the foundation stone for the establishment of Regional Centre of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and Indian Institute of Packaging ((IIP) at the Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. These Centers will help meet the demand of the prospective students of Southern Region as there is no high-class institute offering courses in international business in this part of the country. Land for both the Centers have been allotted and possession taken over.

Industrial Development Projects were put on the fast track

Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor

Fast tracking of the Krishnapatnam node in Andhra Pradesh for which the Shareholder’s Agreement and State Support Agreement stand executed and detailed master planning and preliminary engineering activities are underway. The final report is expected by September 2018. Hon. Minister has already sanctioned a project for which Rs. 5 crores have been released and Rs. 2.50 crores already utilised.

Vizag Chennai Industrial Corridor

Envisaged as part of East Coast Economic Corridor linking Kolkata Chennai – Tuticorin. For Andhra Pradesh, ADB and master planning have completed Conceptual Development Plan for two sites i.e., Nakkapalli (4,909 acres) and Atchutapuram (2,793 acres) was undertaken. The other prioritized node is Srikalahasti-Thottambedu Node (26,258 acres). ADB approved a loan of $631 million to support projects and policy reforms for the VCIC in Sept. 2016

Rajya Sabha MP: Haryana

Shri Suresh Prabhu was the Rajya Sabha representative from Haryana from 2014 to 2016. He has worked towards the development of the region in his capacity as a Member of Parliament and as Union Minister through following initiatives:

As Minister for Railways

Infrastructure Spend - A total budget outlay of Rs. 980 crores was sanctioned in 2017-18 for the development of new projects.

Development Projects - Establishment of rail coach refurbishing and rehabilitation factory in Barhi, Haryana at an estimated cost of Rs. 600 crores to be completed in 5 years. Project expected to provide

stimulus to local ancillary units, MSMEs and create jobs on a large scale.

Capacity Enhancement – Commissioned an electric loco maintenance depot for 9000 HP electric locos in Rewari in 2016-17. Commissioned a 24-coach length washing line with sick line shed in Hissar in 2016-17.

New Lines, Doubling & Electrification - Launched India’s first-ever high tech elevated rail corridor (in Rohtak) and replaced existing rail line by road to reduce traffic, without any land acquisition hassles. Between 2014-17, a 89 km new line between Jind- Sonepat section was commissioned along with the doubling of another 86 km. Commissioned electrification in the Rohtak- Jind section and Asaoti- Ballabgarh section in 2016-17 of 56 RKM & 153.5 TKM; electrification of another 971 RKM & 1883 TKM is under progress

Passenger Amenities - Passenger amenities greatly improved with setting up of escalators at Ambala Cantt. Railway station, improvement of parking area at multiple stations, increase in level of platform at Kurukshetra and Tohana stations; CCTVs installed at Jagadhari and Kalka stations. 25 kb power Solar Energy Panel has been installed at the Gurgaon station in collaboration with RITES.

Shri Suresh Prabhu took over the charge as Minister of Commerce and Industry on 4th September 2017 and within a short span, he took various initiatives which will go a long way in the development of the Haryana.

Freight Village’ As Integrated Multi-Modal Logistics Hub (IMLH) At Nangal Chaudhary (886.78 Acres). Master Plan for the site has been prepared and approved by the State Govt SPV has been formed between Govt. of India through NICDIT and State Govt. of Haryana. Land admeasuring 886.78 acres identified, and 75% land has been acquired.

Mass Rapid Transit System Project (Mrts) From Gurgaon To Bawal

MRTS is planned between Gurgaon and Bawal to provide direct connectivity to MBIR. Final DPR has been prepared and approved by the State Government.

Global City Project In Gurgaon (1100 Acres)

The Global City Project has been planned with Financial/ Business Center as an integral part and growth

driver for the city. Preliminary engineering for roads and services/utilities is likely to be completed by August, 2018.

Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme Initiatives

Shri Suresh Prabhu utilized the total entitlement of 7.50 Cr by recommending 29 projects; 16 Projects that were sanctioned by the District Authorities for the Rohtak District have been successfully completed; 17 ambulances were donated and diagnostic centres at each of the district hospitals were sanctioned.

Lok Sabha MP: Rajapur(Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg)

Shri Suresh Prabhu has been four times Lok Sabha Member in 1996,1998,1999 and 2004 representing Rajapur Constituency covering districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.As a Member of Parliament, he worked with innate and solemn sense of responsibilities to ensure holistic development of the region.

Some of the steps taken by him,which have helped bring considerable impetus to the local constituents are:

  • Helped in getting amended CRZ Act, which helped the traditional fishermen
  • Got National Co-operative Development Corporation to sanction loans for cold storage, which benefitted fishery industry
  • Conducted regular interactions with the Ministry of Surface Transport for development of Vengurla, Reddi, Deogarh, Malwan Ports of Sindhudurg District
  • Land augmentation under Wasteland Development Scheme with an outlay of Rs.15 crores
  • The sanction of Bamboo Scheme by the Ministry of Environment and Forests helped in improvement of employment facilities in the constituency
  • Proposed scheme for creation of one Sanskar Kendra, Library and Gymnasium in each Dashkroshi of the constituency
  • Proposed to build a Kisan Bhawan in each Dashkroshi of the constituency
  • Helped in getting crop insurance scheme initiated by Ministry of Agriculture for the benefit of fruit growers in Konkan area
  • Under the MPLADS, work on several important projects like drinking water, bridges and electricity completed
  • For improvement of postal and telecom facilities in the constituency, held several meetings with senior officers of Ministry of Communications as well as Minister of Communications
  • Initiated a proposal with Ministry of Finance for sanction of Rs.1 lakh loan to women entrepreneurs
  • Initiated a proposal with Ministry of Finance for tax rebate to industrialists in Konkan area
  • Initiated a proposal with Ministry of Human Resource Development for Shramik Vidhya Peeth in the constituency
  • In association with FICCI, organised a seminar on 19th January, 1999 at Sindhudurg in which several top ranking industrialists participated. It was decided to approve one industry/scheme for each taluka of the constituency
  • Proposed a scheme for sanction of an Internet booth in each Dashkroshi of the constituency which will help the rural people to get information on Internet
  • Local dialling facility in Sindhudurg district was inaugurated
  • Improvement of capacity of Doordarshan Kendras at Malwan/Kankavali/ Sangameshwar
  • Meetings and follow up action with Ministry of Railways for employment to affected people of Konkan Railway
  • Helped in getting financial assistance to needy and poor people from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund/Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
  • LPG Agency sanctioned for Malwan, and proposal for LPG Agencies at Shiroda, Banda, Deogarh, Rajapur, Sangameshwar under consideration of Ministry of Petroleum
  • Inclusion of Sindhudurg district in National Reconstruction Scheme of Ministry of Human Resource Development
  • Sindhudurg district was declared as a Tourist District and necessary funds were sanctioned from Central Government
  • Follow up action with Government of Maharastra and Government of India for approval of an international airport at Parule, District Sindhudurg
  • Welfare schemes introduced for betterment of Ex-servicemen of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts
  • Unemployed youth were given opportunity for employment in the defence services
  • Meetings with senior officers of Ministry of Surface Transport for sanction of Naval Training Institute in the constituency
  • Konkan based people settled in Mumbai were helped in various matters
  • Visited several villages and talukas of the constituency and helped getting the work done for the constituents

Personal life

He is married to Uma Prabhu who is a journalist by profession; they have a son, Ameya Prabhu.

Suresh Prabhu currently resides in Delhi and is a native of Medha - Malvan (District - Sindhudurg) Maharashtra.

Awards and recognition

Suresh Prabhu received the Goud Saraswat Brahmin Samaj Maharatha Award on 18 August 2016.[22][23]

He has constantly featured in the list of top five ministers in India from 2014 to 2017 in terms of both performance and accessibility in nation-wide surveys conducted by various institutions.[24][25]

  • Awarded 'Indian of the Year 2017.[26]
  • Declared “Best Member of Parliament in 13th Lok Sabha” in April 2004 by Aaj Tak, a leading TV Channel in India.
  • Featured amongst top three Indian leaders of the future in the cover story, “Giant on the Move” (Sept 2000 issue) of the Hong Kong based Asiaweek Magazine.
  • Ranked as the 2nd best performing Minister in India Today’s report (dated August 27, 2001) on the performance of key Ministers Of Govt. of India.

Published works

  • "Students' Unrest" at the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai.
  • "Causes and Consequences of Mass Unemployment of Youths" at the Central Committee for International Voluntary Services (CCIVS), UNESCO, Paris.
  • "Problems of Youth in Third World Countries" at CCIVS, Monrovia (Liberia).
  • "North-South Co-operation",paper read at an international seminar at New Delhi on behalf of Bharat Sevak Samaj.
  • "Contribution of NGO's Towards Peace" - Asian Youth Seminar, New Delhi.
  • Has published several columns on finance and economy in the daily "Mid Day" as well as articles in leading Marathi dailies.
  • He has written extensively on socio-economic issues.

Social Work and interests

  • Former Chairman, Saraswat Co-operation Bank. (former Chairman).
  • Former Director, National Co-operative Union of India.
  • Chairman, Manav Sadhan Vikas Sansthan, an NGO.
  • Former Chairman, Konkan Kala academy.
  • Former Trustee, Mumbai Marathi Granth Sangrahalaya
  • Former Chairman, Adult Education Institute.
  • Former Chairman, Maharastra State Table Tennis Academy
  • Trustee, Khar Residents Association.
  • Former Trustee, Manavendra Charitable hospital.
  • Former Trustee, IFFCO Foundation.
  • Honorary Member, Indian Islamic Cultural Centre.
  • Senior Vice-President, Table Tennis Federation of India (present).

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/piyush-goyal-chidambaram-suresh-prabhu-sharad-yadav-elected-to-rajya-sabha/articleshow/52572237.cms
  2. ↑ Portfolios of the Union Council of Ministers Prime Minister's Office, Government of India
  3. 1 2 3 Suresh Prabhu returns to the Cabinet Indian Express (9 November 2014)
  4. ↑ http://www.iimun.in/index.php/home/advisor_board
  5. 1 2 Suresh Prabhu Biodata India, Accessed on 10 November 2014
  6. ↑ "Cabinet reshuffle: Modi government's got talent but is it being fully utilised?", The Economic Times, 10 July 2016
  7. ↑ http://zeenews.india.com/home/shri-suresh-p-prabhu_634229.html
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hisar varsity confers doctorate on Minister Prabhu".
  10. 1 2 Suresh Prabhu says PM wants condition of railways to change, Parrikar seeks time to get going The Times of India (10 November 2014)
  11. 1 2 "Modi Cabinet reshuffle: Full list of new council of ministers", The Times of India, 3 September 2017
  12. 1 2 PTI (2016-06-03). "Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, P. Chidambaram elected to Rajya Sabha". http://www.livemint.com/. Retrieved 2017-12-17. External link in |work= (help)
  13. ↑ "New Transaction Structure for Future Greenfield Airports Proposed Under Nabh Nirmaan 2018". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  14. ↑ "Civil Aviation Ministry to prepare a holistic 'Vision – 2035' document". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  15. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". www.pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  16. ↑ Narendra Modi finds a reform partner in Suresh Prabhu LiveMint (9 November 2014)
  17. ↑ "Indian Rivers Inter-link", Wikipedia, 2018-08-14, retrieved 2018-08-18
  18. ↑ Annual Conference of the Parliamentary Network of World Bank Cape Town, The World Bank (2007)
  19. ↑ "Executive briefing - Suresh Prabhu". 30 August 2000. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  20. ↑ "Suresh Prabhu to head panel on power". 2 July 2014.
  21. ↑ "Suresh Prabhu assumes charge as Civil Aviation Minister - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
  22. ↑ "Rly. Minister Suresh Prabhu gets Maharatha Award", The Hindu, 19 August 2016
  23. ↑ "GSB Maharatna Award for Suresh Prabhu", The Times of India, 19 August 2016
  24. ↑ Bureau, ABP News. "Achche din? Report card of PM Modi's top 5 performing ministers". Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  25. ↑ "Who are the Best performing ministers in the Narendra Modi government ? - Indian Youth". Indian Youth. 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  26. ↑ "Brands Academy Organized Mega Event "Indian of the Year" - New Delhi".
  27. ↑ "Major Initiatives as Lok Sabha MP:Rajapur(Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg) – Suresh Prabhu". sureshprabhu.net. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
Lok Sabha
Preceded by
Sudhir Sawant		 Member of Parliament
for Rajapur
1996–2009		 Succeeded by
Constituency merged into
Ratnagiri–Sindhudurg constituency
Nilesh Narayan Rane
Political offices
Preceded by
P R Kumaramangalam		 Minister of Power
30 September 2000 - 24 August 2002		 Succeeded by
Anant Geete
Preceded by
D. V. Sadananda Gowda		 Minister of Railways
2014 – 2017		 Succeeded by
Piyush Goyal
Preceded by
Nirmala Sitharaman
As Minister of State (Independent Charge)		 Minister of Commerce and Industry
2017 – Present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Ashok Gajapathi Raju		 Ministry of Civil Aviation
2018 – Present
Additional Charge 		Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.