Secretary in the Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Guruprasad Mohapatra died of COVID-19 related complications on Saturday. “Extremely saddened to hear about the loss of Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary DPIIT. His long-standing service and dedication to the Nation have left a lasting impact. I convey my deepest sympathies to his family and friends,” Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet. Mohapatra was admitted to AIIMS in mid-April. Prior to taking over as DPIIT secretary in August 2019, Mohapatra served as chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). He was a Gujarat cadre 1986 batch IAS officer. He had earlier served as joint secretary in the Department of Commerce. At the state level, he held the portfolio of Municipal Commissioner in Surat, Gujarat.