Subrata Gupta, a retired 1990-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, has been appointed Advisor to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The appointment, announced on May 9, 2026, is being viewed as a significant administrative move by the newly formed state government.
The order, issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms from Nabanna in Howrah, stated that the appointment has been made “in the interest of public service” and will remain effective until further orders.
Widely regarded as one of the most academically accomplished and experienced bureaucrats in West Bengal, Dr Gupta brings with him more than 35 years of administrative experience across both the state and central governments. Officials familiar with the development said his extensive governance and policy background is expected to play a key role in assisting the new administration in policy coordination, institutional reforms, and implementation of priority programmes.
Before taking up this assignment, Dr Gupta had been serving the Election Commission of India in important supervisory roles. He was appointed as Special Roll Observer for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise conducted ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections and later served as a Special Observer during the polls.
Over the course of his career, Dr Gupta held nearly 27 postings and spent around 16-and-a-half years on central deputation. At the Centre, he served as Secretary in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, one of the top bureaucratic positions in the Union government.
In West Bengal, he occupied several senior positions, including Additional Chief Secretary in the Science, Technology and Biotechnology Department, the Food Processing Industries and Horticulture Department, and the North Bengal Development Department. He also served as Principal Secretary in the Water Resources Investigation and Development Department.
His administrative career also included important field assignments as District Magistrate of Jalpaiguri and Bardhaman, where he earned a reputation for hands-on governance and development-oriented administration.
Dr Gupta also served as Managing Director of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) and Managing Director of the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL). During his tenure at KMRCL, he oversaw work related to India’s first underwater metro project in Kolkata.
Among his notable contributions was the introduction of the “Do It Yourself (DIY)” bamboo polyhouse initiative in North Bengal. The innovation enabled farmers in the hill and foothill regions to build low-cost protected cultivation structures using locally available bamboo instead of expensive commercial materials. Officials say the initiative helped improve agricultural productivity and rural incomes in the region.
An alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Dr Gupta possesses an exceptional academic record. He holds a PhD in Electronics and Communication Engineering, an M.Tech in Communication Engineering, and an MBA from the University of Birmingham.
His academic depth, combined with long administrative experience, has often been cited as one of the defining strengths of his career in public service.
Even after retirement, Dr Gupta continued to be entrusted with key public responsibilities. His latest appointment as Advisor to the Chief Minister is being seen in administrative circles as a major addition to the state government’s policy and governance framework at a time when the new administration is expected to focus heavily on governance reforms and execution.
