Ms. M. Anjana, IAS, a 2013-batch officer of the Kerala cadre, has been appointed as the Director of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, in a recent bureaucratic reshuffle. She succeeds Ms. Sikha Surendran, who has been transferred and posted as District Collector of Thrissur. In addition to her role as Director of Tourism, Ms. Anjana will hold full additional charge as Managing Director of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) and Project Director of the Kerala State Transport Project.
Prior to this appointment, she was serving as Special Secretary in the General Administration Department of the Government of Kerala, concurrently holding the additional responsibility of Project Director for the Kerala State Transport Project. A native of Thiruvananthapuram who entered the IAS through the State Civil Service stream, she has built a strong and varied administrative career spanning governance, social development, and public sector management.
Ms. Anjana assumed charge as District Collector of Alappuzha on November 15, 2019, and subsequently served as District Collector of Kottayam from 2020 to 2021. She has also served as Director of the Kerala Social Justice Department, where her tenure earned recognition for administrative efficiency and welfare-oriented governance. Her public sector leadership roles have included Managing Director of the Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation, Managing Director of the Kerala State Pottery Manufacturing Marketing and Welfare Development Corporation, and Special Officer of the Kerala Public Enterprises (Selection and Recruitment) Board.
Her appointment comes at a significant moment for the state, as Kerala actively strengthens its tourism infrastructure and international market outreach under the globally recognised brand Kerala – God’s Own Country. As Director of Tourism, she will oversee strategic tourism promotion, destination development, international marketing, infrastructure development, and coordination with industry stakeholders. With Kerala’s tourism sector continuing to expand its focus on experiential travel, Ayurveda wellness, backwater tourism, and international markets including the GCC region, her appointment is expected to lend fresh administrative momentum to the state’s efforts to consolidate its position as one of the world’s premier tourism destinations.
