Historic appointment: Rajan Natarajan is
Maryland’s deputy secretary of state
AZIZ HANIFFA
Natarajan ‘has long been recognized
for his community service, awareness
of the strengths of our international
community and his expertise in pro-
moting the positive business and edu-
cational opportunities in Maryland.’
Similar sentiments were expressed
on the House side. The longest-serv-
ing Indian-American legislator,
Maryland House Majority Leader
Kumar Barve, said, ‘Rajan will be per-
fect for refocusing our business strat-
egy in Asia, especially South Asia.’
Newly elected Maryland Delegate
Aruna Miller said, ‘Rajan is a tremen-
dous business leader in the technolo-
gy industry, community activist, and a
visionary.’
There was much celebration in the
Indian-American community in
Maryland too. Dr Sambhu N Banik,
who serves on the Governor’s Human
Resource Commission, said, “Rajan
has been a well known and highly suc-
cessful IT businessman who devel-
oped an excellent networking rela-
tionships with the business as well as
influential Indian-American commu-
nity, winning the hearts of the
O’Malley administration. I am so
happy and pleased that Governor
O’Malley has selected one of our
cream of the crop of the Indian-
American community in Maryland.”
Bob Nathan, president, Maryland
India Business Roundtable, who suc-
ceeded Natarajan in this organization
that promotes Maryland-India busi-
ness particularly among Indian
American entrepreneurs in the state,
said, “Rajan is an eminently well qual-
ified, visionary community organizer
and leader, who has a wonderful gift
to interact with and impact the lives
of everyone he comes in contact with.”
Natarajan told India Abroad: “I am
so thankful and grateful to the gover-
nor, lieutenant governor and the sec-
retary of state for entrusting me to
oversee an important government
portfolio… as the first Indian-born
In the past decade-and-a-half, he has founded several
businesses and headed up community and nonprofit
organizations, in additional to serving on several state,
county, and local boards and commissions, including as a
member of the Governor’s International Advisory Council
and on the board of directors of the Asian Pacific American
Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his appointment, he
served as vice president, government initiatives at GAN-
TECH, one of the fastest-growing technology companies in
Maryland.
Natarajan was born in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkottai district.
His wife Dr Savithiry Natarajan is a scientist at the
Department of Agriculture and they have two sons, Ram,
17, and Bala, 15.
Entrepreneur Dr Rajan Natarajan has
created history in Maryland by becom-
ing the first Indian American to be
appointed to a sub-cabinet level position
in the state administration.
Democratic Maryland Governor
Martin O’Malley appointed Natarajan,
51, as his deputy secretary of state for
policy and external affairs — the highest
administrative office held by an Indian
American in Maryland’s history.
Natarajan’s responsibilities include
representing the governor or secretary of
state at designated public and communi-
ty outreach events, advising the secretary
on external affairs, planning and strate-
gies, fostering and promoting interna-
tional diplomatic relationships, building
private community and industry part-
nerships, overseeing and advancing
international sister-state programs,
coordinating the legislative and execu-
tive branches of government with the
governor’s office, and overseeing the
Maryland International Consortium.
O’Malley told India Abroad that he
was “delighted to appoint Dr Rajan
Natarajan... He is the first and highest
ranking Indian-born American appoint-
ed in my current administration. Rajan
brings a wealth of corporate business
and industry experience to my adminis-
tration; he has spent much of his profes-
sional life in the corporate world helping
companies grow.”
Natarajan, the governor pointed out,
also “has significant experience in the
technology sector and is used to thinking
out of the box to deliver innovative solu-
tions, commercialization of technologies
and business development. Additionally,
Rajan has been actively engaged in the
business community and has overseen
organizations whose very mission is to
bring business leaders, deals and part-
nerships together, and try to identify
areas where collaboration can occur.”
While campaigning for governor,
O’Malley had promised to appoint
Indian Americans to senior level posi-
tions in his administration.
Secretary of State John McDonough,
Natarajan’s immediate boss, told India Abroad that
Natarajan “brings his unique corporate background and
clear understanding of how government works and can
play a vital in enhancing and empowering public and pri-
vate community and business partnerships. Under my
leadership, he will be involved in strengthening existing
international programs and the state’s foreign relationships
and also forging news ones as part of his official duties.”
Natarajan came to the United States in 1989 to pursue his
post-doctoral research at Michigan State University, and
then became a biotechnology scientist. After completing
his MBA in 1999, he became a technology entrepreneur
and business leader. He brings over 20 years of extensive
industry and private sectors experience and senior leader-
ship background in the areas of business management and
administration, technology development and commercial-
Rajan Natarajan, left, with Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley
ization, information technology and biotechnology, and
economic development to his first stint in the public sector.
Natarajan lives in Montgomery County, the largest and
most affluent county in Maryland with a significant Indian-
American population, many of them medical professionals
and business entrepreneurs. County Executive Ike Leggett
said, “Rajan Natarajan has been an extraordinary asset to
Montgomery County and I know his experience will be
exceptionally valuable in this new endeavor.”
These sentiments were echoed by leaders in the Maryland
legislature. State Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola said,
‘I have had the opportunity to get to know Rajan well over
the years in both business and community settings. I believe
he will make an excellent deputy secretary of state.’
State Senator Brian Frosh said Natarajan ‘will do a terrif-
ic job.’ State Senator Karen Montgomery spoke of how
