He was considered the 'most powerful bureaucrat' in the state of Odisha, often referred as the right hand of CM Naveen Patnaik. Kartik Pandian served as the private secretary to the Odisha CM for 12 years before joining his party, Biju Janata Dal in 2023. After taking voluntary retirement, which was approved in less than 3 days, one of the fastest ever, Pandian was appointed the Chairman of 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of Cabinet Minister.

A native of Tamil Nadu, Pandian began his career in 2002 as the sub-collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district. Addressing the elephant in the room, he discusses whether he will take political reins from Naveen Patnaik and become his successor or not.

In the latest edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Pandian also reflects on his journey and talks about his first meeting with Odisha CM, calling him the boss, and stating that he works only under the direction of CM Patnaik. Pandian delves into Naveen Patnaik's health and predicts that BJD is poised to sweep the 2024 polls. He also discusses the Puri Jagannath Heritage Corridor project, dubbed as a once-in-a-century temple development initiative in the state.

Pandian also addresses the allegations of a BJP and BJD nexus, stating that Odisha CM engages in politics only during elections and believes in the overall growth of the state. He shares some untold stories of former CM of Odisha, Biju Patnaik, and talks about devolution to states from the Centre, emphasizing that Odisha needs more funds but acknowledges systematic improvements.