Rishi Sunak, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2015, was appointed to the one of the senior-most positions in the British cabinet as finance secretary, reflecting a meteoric rise within the Conservative Party.
Sunak, son-in-law of Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy, takes over from Sajid Javid, who resigned as Prime Minister Boris Johnson carried out the first reshuffle since winning a large mandate in December 2019.
Sunak, 39, who was the chief secretary in the Treasury, takes on a role equivalent to the finance minister in India.
Priti Patel, another Indian origin cabinet minister, stays as the home secretary, which is another top role in the UK government. Also in the Johnson cabinet is Alok Sharma, making it a record three Indian origin ministers at the top table.
Sunak will be in-charge of steering the UK’s finances as it seeks to forge a new path in the post-Brexit world. His immediate is to present the next budget in March.