Piyush Vedprakash Goyal (born 13 June 1964) is a politician, chartered accountant and cabinet minister of the Government of India having portfolios such as Minister of Textiles, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. He was elevated to the Cabinet Minister position on 3 September 2017. Currently a Member of Parliament for Rajya Sabha from the state of Maharashtra, he is also the current Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha.
Earlier, he held the post of the National Treasurer of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He headed the BJP's Information Communication Campaign Committee where he oversaw the publicity and advertising campaign of the party including the social media outreach for the Indian General Elections 2014. Goyal has also held additional charge of Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs twice in 2018 and 2019. Earlier he was Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy (2014–2017), and Mines (2016–17).
Goyal is the 2018 Carnot Prize Recipient for distinguished contributions to energy policy. He has been allocated the cabinet ministry for Narendra Modi led NDA government in May 2019.
Goyal was born in Mumbai to Chandrakanta Goyal and Ved Prakash Goyal. His mother was a three-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Maharashtra and his father served as the Union Minister for shipping in the Third Vajpayee ministry from 2001 to 2003. His father also served as the National Treasurer of the BJP for over two decades.
Piyush Goyal is Chartered Accountant and he did Law in Mumbai University. He did his schooling from Don Bosco High School, Matunga.
Goyal started his career as an investment banker and served on the board of India's largest commercial banks, the State Bank of India 2001–2004 and Bank of Baroda 2002–2004 as Government nominee.
Goyal was a member of the Standing Committee on Finance and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence. An active member of the Managing Committee of Indian Merchants Chamber, he is also involved with NGOs in diverse fields such as tribal education and welfare of the physically challenged (Jaipur Foot).
During his 35-year-long political career, he has served on the National Executive and held several important positions in the BJP including the national treasurer. He was also nominated by the Government of India to the Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers. He was the Dy. Campaign In-charge for the Parliament elections in 1991 and played a key role at the central level in all elections since 2004.
He was elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Maharashtra for the Rajya Sabha in 2010.