The scheme was started in 2018 by the Narendra Modi government but the experience was not much encouraging as it was at the nascent stage then. It was appreciated and praised by a section while vehemently criticised by another section. Still the government deciding to continue with the scheme and decided to recruit 45 such officers shows its conviction.

The first batch of such officers recruited on lateral basis was cleared on August 31, 2019 when it appointed nine private sector senior executives to the post of Joint Secretary in various departments. 

In its first tranche the experiment to enhance the efficiency of government machinery through lateral entry was seen coming to a grinding halt. Out of the almost 6,000 initial applicants UPSC had, in April 2019, selected nine candidates of which Kakoli Ghosh (an alumna of IIT, IIM, and Oxford) had quit even before joining as JS, Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.

Two other lateral entrants -- Arun Goel (JS, Commerce) and Amber Dubey (JS, Civil Aviation) -- too made early exit. Goel resigned in December 2020 while Amber Dubey moved on completion of his service i.e. three-year contract (17.09.2022). 

Another lateral entrant Saurabh Mishra (JS, DFS) chose to move on (30.04.2023) despite given extension for two years. Mishra was among the six lateral entrants to get two years extension in August 2022.  After Mishra’s resignation five continued to remains on the turf namely; Rajeev Saksena (DEA), Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale (MNRE), Sujit Kumar Bajpayee (MoEF&CC), Suman Prasad Singh (Road Transport and Highways), and Bhushan Kumar (Shipping).

Having the next tranche of lateral entry advertised it has sparked a mix of optimism and apprehensions across sections in the govt vis a vis private sector.