Ajay Shankar is a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer (1973 batch) with extensive experience in public administration, energy, industry and economic policy. He served in several senior positions in the Government of India, including Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, and senior roles in the Ministry of Power and Planning Commission.

He played a significant role in the enactment of the Electricity Act, 2003, the launch of the National Solar Mission, rural electrification, and the development of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. He also contributed to economic recovery measures following the 2008 global financial crisis and initiatives to promote manufacturing, investment and ease of doing business.

He has served on the boards of several leading public and private sector organisations and is currently a Distinguished Fellow at TERI and President of the Foundation for MSME Clusters. He holds master's degrees in Political Science from Allahabad University and Economics from Georgetown University, USA.