| The posters and paintings along the steps and the corridor in Udyog Bhavan, which the new Commerce Secretary G K Pillai shares with Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, reflect their common fondness for the north-east. A 1972-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Pillai's had a close association with the region since it was his patch during his stint in the home ministry. Even today, both serving and former officials and politicians from the region stay in regular contact with him. |
| Pillai himself recounts a time when he had to travel to some interior part of the north-east by road. The previous night, some locals had warned him about using a particular road. Pillai took their advice, used a different route, and was told later that there were land mine blasts on the route that he was scheduled to take. |
| His appointment as commerce secretary last week was no surprise given his long association with the ministry. Prior to this, he dealt with the WTO as special secretary. He still retains his post as chairman of the Board of Approval for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export Oriented Units (EOUs). Pillai has managed to keep his head above the water on the SEZ issue despite it getting criticised by many in the government and by even the Left parties. |
| His colleagues say Pillai's biggest quality is taking quick decisions. "He always urges us to take quick decisions and says that there is a possibility that you could err 10 per cent of the time, but you would also be right 90 per cent of the time. It is better to risk going wrong 10 per cent of the time while taking a quick decision instead of sitting and and waiting before taking the perfect decision," is how a junior officer puts it. |
| Officers in the ministry describe Pillai as hard-working, cool and approachable. He begins his day at 9 in the morning, and comes to work on Saturdays to finish any pending work. Despite his hectic work schedule, Pillai even goes to buy vegetables when his wife "" Sudha Pillai is also an IAS officer "" is out of town. |
| As officiating Director General of Foreign Trade in 2005, he formulated the maiden five-year Foreign Trade Policy. He has worked in diverse fields in the state government of Kerala, from District Collector of Quilon to Special Secretary for Industries, and Principal Secretary to the chief minister of Kerala. |
| In the central government, he's worked in the ministries of defence, shipping and transport, and in the ministry of home affairs. |
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