The Cabinet Secretary (ISO: Mantrimandal Saciv) is the top-most executive official and senior-most civil servant of the Government of India.

And this post became more powerful over time as the Secretariat's main role became coordinating the work of the departments.

The Secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst ministries/departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/ad hoc Committees of Secretaries.

The Military wing is represented by an officer of the rank of major general, or its equivalents in the Indian Armed Forces, who is designated as a joint secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.

The First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966–70) found that the average tenure of the Cabinet Secretary was two years and eight months, which was considered to be inadequate.

The official earmarked residence of the Cabinet Secretary is 12, Mother Teresa Crescent, New Delhi, a Type-VIII bungalow.

[17] The salary and emolument in this rank is in pay level 18 which is equivalent to Chief of the Army Staff,[18] but in precedence the cabinet secretary is listed above all other government officers including those from armed forces.