Yashwant Narayan Sukthankar, CIE (24 August 1897– 16 June 1973)[1] was an Indian civil servant, the second Cabinet Secretary of India and a former Governor of Odisha.

After completion of his barrister at law in Cambridge, he joined the service on 30 October 1922 - the first batch of native ICS officers.

[2] He was a part of the Finance and Commerce Pool, comprising specialist civil servants, that was constituted at the level of the Government of India during the Second World War.

Sukthankar was a specialist in international trade[3] and he went on to serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry[4][5] and as Cabinet Secretary of India from May 14, 1953 to July 31, 1957.

[7] Upon retirement as Cabinet Secretary, he was appointed Governor of Orissa, a post he held from 31 July 1957 till 15 September 1962.