Ms. Avny Lavasa is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from the 2013 batch and has served primarily in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. She is currently serving as Secretary to the Government, Transport Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, where she is responsible for transportation policy and reforms.
Throughout her administrative career, Ms. Lavasa has led several public transport, urban infrastructure, and mobility initiatives. She is a strong advocate for sustainable urban mobility, with a particular focus on strengthening public transport systems and enhancing walkability in cities and towns. She has held a number of key leadership positions, including Chief Executive Officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA), Municipal Commissioner, and Chief Executive Officer of Jammu Smart City, where she played a significant role in the planning and implementation of large-scale urban infrastructure and smart city projects.
As Deputy Commissioner of both Jammu and Leh districts, Ms. Lavasa gained extensive experience in land administration, governance, and district-level public administration, overseeing a broad range of developmental and regulatory functions.
Ms. Lavasa holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Harvard University, where she studied as a Fulbright Fellow with a concentration in Transportation and Infrastructure and graduated with Distinction. She earned her Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Economics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi.
Her academic and research interests focus on transportation, land governance, urban governance, and infrastructure planning. During her time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Urban Studies and Planning, she contributed to research examining successful models of urban governance in India. She also worked with the World Bank’s South Asia Climate Change Practice on climate adaptation requirements for infrastructure in secondary cities and undertook research on land-use regulation in India as part of her Master’s programme.
Beyond her professional and academic pursuits, Ms. Lavasa is a keen sports and fitness enthusiast and regularly participates in marathon events.