We Also Make Policy : An Insider’s Account of How the Finance Ministry Functions

As a member of the Indian Administrative Service for more than thirty-six years, Subhash Chandra Garg was deeply involved in public administration, the execution of development programmes, managing state-level institutions, making Budgets both at state- and Central-government levels, and policymaking. He crafted many Budgets as the secretary, Budget; as finance secretary of the government of Rajasthan; as the secretary, economic affairs; and as the finance secretary to the Government of India. He served as the secretary, economic affairs, for a little over two years, from 2017 to 2019. After taking voluntary retirement from the IAS in October 2019, he now works as a policy observer, strategist, commentator and writer on important economic and financial policy issues with a focus on economic and fiscal affairs, and policy of India. Garg's first book, The $10 Trillion Dream: The State of the Indian Economy and the Policy Reforms Agenda, was published in February 2022. His second book, Subhash Chandra Garg's Explanation and Commentary on Budget 2022–23, includes the results and outcome of Budget 2021–22 and the implementation of Budget 2022–23, and develops a national standard for analysing and commenting on Central government budgets. He writes opinion editorials and columns for print and online news magazines, and speaks to think-tanks, educational institutions and investors regularly. He appears on television channels for discussions on economy, Budget and other public policy matters as well.