Dr. Venu Vasudevan
Dr. Venu Vasudevan (V. Venu) currently serves as the Chief Secretary to the Government of Kerala. Dr. Vasudevan joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1990, and has served the Government of India and state Government of Kerala in various capacities. It was during his tenure as Director, Kerala Tourism, and later as Secretary, Department of Tourism, that Kerala transformed its market positioning and built up a strong private–public partnership, culminating in Kerala being recognized by the National Geographic Traveller as one of the 50 ‘must-see’ destinations of the world. Kerala Travel Mart, the biggest international travel mart in India, is his brainchild. He served the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and played a pivotal role in formulating the ‘Incredible India’ campaign. He served as Secretary, Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala (2007–2011), during which period the International Theatre Festival of Kerala was established. He was instrumental in setting up and curating a new museum, Keralam. He played a key role in the improvement and upgradation of the museums and archives of Kerala. Moving to the Union Government, he served as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, with responsibility over apex cultural institutions, libraries, archives and Museums. As the Director General of the National Museum, he headed a team that worked on the revival of the National Museum, initiating a range of projects that improved arrivals, enhanced visibility and involved stakeholders and the academic community. He was invited to be a participant in the Global Museum Leaders Colloquium of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. He also served as the Vice Chancellor, National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology.