IPS officer Sudeep Lakhtakia will assume his services as the Director General of the black cats commando force National Security Guard (NSG) from Friday.

The post fell vacant after incumbent chief S P Singh retired yesterday.

Lakhtakia, a 1984-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Telangana cadre, was till now serving as Special DG in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters here.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had issued orders for his appointment as the NSG chief on January 19.

Lakhtakia, a post-graduate in Business Administration, will hold the top post of the elite counter-terror force till July next year as his scheduled retirement on this month.

The officer, apart from serving at various positions in his home cadre and the elite commando force Greyhounds, has also worked with the Special Protection Group (SPG) for over nine years.

The NSG was raised as the federal contingency force to counter terrorists and hijack-like incidents in 1984.

The commandos of the force are based in five hubs from corner to corner the country, apart from their main garrison in Gurgaons Manesar. They also render personal security to some of the most high-profile VVIPs like Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and some chief ministers.