Jammu and Kashmir has a new Secretary for Tourism and a new Managing Director of the J&K Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC). Under Government Order issued on October 7, 2026 by the General Administration Department, Ms. Avny Lavasa IAS has been posted as Secretary to the Government – Tourism Department. Ms. Akriti Sagar IAS has been posted as Managing Director, JKTDC, with additional charge as CEO of the J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA).
The appointments come at a time when tourism is one of the main drivers of the Union Territory’s economy. The sector contributes an estimated 7 to 8 per cent of J&K’s Gross State Domestic Product and supports the livelihoods of over 20 lakh people, directly or indirectly, in hospitality, handicrafts, transport and local services. In recent years, Kashmir has emerged as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the country. J&K has recorded over 2.11 crore tourist arrivals in 2023 and 2024, a historic high, with domestic travellers making up more than 98 per cent of visitors. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, famously described Kashmir as a paradise on earth.
International interest is also growing. Post-pandemic recovery and events such as the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar have raised the destination’s global visibility, and foreign arrivals have risen several-fold to over 50,000 a year. Travellers from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are drawn by the landscapes, snow and leisure tourism, while visitors from the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany come mainly for adventure, trekking and heritage. Tourists from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman are attracted by luxury travel, autumn and winter holidays and cultural tourism.
Among domestic markets, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata are the top origin cities, and the North Kerala districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur are also significant sources of visitors. Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal lead in group and family holiday bookings, while Delhi NCR and Karnataka contribute heavily to leisure, pilgrimage and adventure tourism.
Ms. Lavasa, an IAS officer of the 2013 AGMUT batch, was earlier Secretary to the Government, Transport Department, with additional charge of the Hospitality & Protocol and Tribal Affairs departments. She will continue to hold charge as Administrative Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department.
She began her tenure with review meetings on October 12 and 13. At an introductory meeting, she reviewed the overall functioning, management and operational capability of the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, the premier government-run international convention centre in the Union Territory. She toured the Centre to get a first-hand view of its facilities and infrastructure, and was welcomed by SKICC officials led by Director General Mufti Fareedudin.
The Director General briefed the Secretary on the current status of bookings, the revenue structure and the Centre’s future plans. Promotion of SKICC and its MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) services was also discussed. Ms. Lavasa assured all possible support to take SKICC to new heights as a world-class convention destination. She was accompanied by senior officers of the Department, including Special Secretary Tourism Suraj Parkash Rukwal, the Director Planning and the Director Finance.
Ms. Lavasa brings ten years of experience in administrative roles across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, and is known for her participative approach to public service. As Deputy Commissioner of Leh, she set up a widely acclaimed solid waste management system across the region. She also worked on reviving public transport, promoting eco-friendly mobility and enforcing waste management regulations at tourism destinations in the ecologically fragile area. As Municipal Commissioner of Jammu and CEO of the Smart City Mission, she led major urban projects, including the Riverfront project and Asian Development Bank-funded urban water supply and mobility projects.
An economics graduate of the University of Delhi, she also holds a sports management diploma from Australia and worked in the sports industry before joining the government. A sports enthusiast who regularly runs half marathons, she pioneered school games in Leh.
Ms. Sagar, an IAS officer of the 2016 batch of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh – Goa – Mizoram – Union Territories) cadre, was earlier Managing Director of the National Health Mission, J&K, with additional charge as Special Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department. She assumed charge as Managing Director of JKTDC after the formal handing over and taking over of charge from Ms. Shreya Singhal IAS, who has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal. Senior officers of the Corporation welcomed her, including Mr. Tasawuf Amin JKAS, FA&CAO; Mr. Riaz Ahmad JKAS, General Manager, Jammu; and Mr. Altaf Hussain Bhat JKAS, General Manager, Kashmir, along with other officers and staff.
Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Sagar secured All India Rank 239 in the Civil Services Examination 2015 and joined the IAS in 2016. She holds a B.A. (Hons) in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, and a master’s degree in public policy from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She began her career as Assistant Secretary in the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Her postings in Arunachal Pradesh include Deputy Commissioner of West Kameng district (Bomdila) and Special Secretary in the Department of Women and Child Development. In Delhi, she served as District Magistrate of the Central District, Director of the Delhi Jal Board and Additional/Deputy Commissioner in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. In Jammu and Kashmir, she was Managing Director of the National Health Mission before moving to JKTDC.
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