Trusted aide of CM Yogi Adityanath; Uttar Pradesh's own Malayali Collector

LUCKNOW: A native of Thodupuzha is spearheading the drive to transform Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, into India's leading city in terms of development. Vishak G. Iyer, the Lucknow District Collector, has become a trusted aide of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

An IAS officer of the 2011 batch (UP cadre), Vishak completed his education at a government school and an engineering college in Thodupuzha. After obtaining a B.Tech in Electronics, he earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Oxford. He initially cleared the IPS exam on his maiden attempt in 2010, but he was far from satisfied. While undergoing training, he retook the exam the following year—choosing Malayalam as his optional subject—and secured a place in the IAS. After serving as Collector in five districts, including Aligarh and Kanpur, he spent three years (starting in 2022) as Special Secretary to Yogi, a period during which he forged a close working relationship with the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister was highly impressed by the urban development proposals put forward by the 38-year-old Vishak, leading to his appointment as the administrator of the capital district in 2025.

Compared to Kerala, District Collectors in Uttar Pradesh wield greater authority, including in matters of law and order. Under the 'UP Goonda Act' and the 'Gangsters Act'—enacted after Yogi became Chief Minister—the Collector holds supreme authority. Similarly, the respective District Collectors are responsible for allocating funds for local body development projects and overseeing construction activities.

Visakh holds administrative and magisterial responsibility for various projects—undertaken in collaboration with the UP Development Authority—such as the Lucknow City Green Corridor, a new 150-km outer ring road, four expressways modelled on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, the renovation of heritage and cultural institutions (costing Rs 270 crore), flyovers (costing Rs 1,100 crore), and comprehensive water supply systems. Some of these projects are completed, while the others are scheduled for completion within two years.

Visakh's wife is Apoorva Dube, a 2013-batch IAS officer from Delhi. They fell in love while in service and got married in Kerala in 2019. Apoorva previously served as the District Magistrate (Collector) of the Fatehpur and Unnao districts in Uttar Pradesh and is currently a Deputy Secretary in the Union Ministry of Water Resources. They welcomed their first child just a week ago. Apoorva has already learnt to read and write Malayalam, and they make it a point to converse in the language at home whenever possible. They have decided to give their son a Malayali name as well.