Amitabh Kant
Amitabh Kant 
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | 1 March 1956
India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | St. Stephen's College, Delhi (BA)
Jawaharlal Nehru University (MA) |
| Occupation | Civil servant, Policy expert, Author |
| Known for | CEO of NITI Aayog, G20 Sherpa, Incredible India campaign |
Amitabh Kant (born 1 March 1956) is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and policy expert. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog from 2016 to 2022 and as India’s G20 Sherpa from July 2022 to June 2025. He is widely known for driving major government initiatives and branding campaigns.[1]
Early Life and Education
Amitabh Kant was born on 1 March 1956. He studied at Modern School, Delhi. He graduated with a degree in Economics (Hons.) from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, and later earned a master's degree in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was also a Chevening Scholar.[2]
Career
Kant joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1980 and was allotted the Kerala cadre. As Sub Collector of Thalassery, he worked on infrastructure development, including road expansion and urban reforms, and launched the Tellicherry Carnival.
He later served as Managing Director of Matsyafed, where he introduced modern fishing technologies such as fibreglass boats and motorised equipment. As District Collector of Kozhikode, he contributed to the expansion of Calicut Airport and led urban and cultural development projects.[3]
As Tourism Secretary in Kerala, he played a key role in promoting tourism and popularised the slogan "Kerala: God's Own Country".
In 2001, he joined the Ministry of Tourism as Joint Secretary, where he conceptualised the "Incredible India" campaign and the "Atithi Devo Bhava" initiative to improve tourist experiences.
Later, as Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, he led major initiatives such as "Make in India", "Startup India", and reforms to improve ease of doing business.
Kant served as CEO of NITI Aayog from 2016 to 2022. During his tenure, he led programmes like the Aspirational Districts Programme and initiatives related to asset monetization and mobility transformation. He also played a key role in managing India's COVID-19 response through policy coordination.
From 2022 to 2025, he served as India’s G20 Sherpa, representing the country in global economic discussions.
Publications
Amitabh Kant is the author of several books, including Branding India – An Incredible Story, Incredible India 2.0, Made in India: 75 Years of Business and Enterprise, and The Elephant Moves: India's New Place in the World. He has also edited The Path Ahead – Transformative Ideas for India and written numerous articles.[4]
Honours
Kant was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star by the Government of Japan in 2023. He has also been listed among India's most powerful bureaucrats by various publications.
Controversies
In December 2020, Kant faced criticism for remarks suggesting that implementing tough reforms in India is difficult due to the country being "too much of a democracy".
References
- ↑ https://www.millenniumpost.in/business/bharat-ki-soch-amitabh-kant-to-lead-dialogue-on-theme-of-decolonisation-for-viksit-bharat-658539
- ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/this-was-unimaginable-amitabh-kant-hails-pli-as-apple-vendors-export-25-bn-components-to-china/ar-AA211m21?gemSnapshotKey=GMA929ECFB-snapshot-4&uxmode=ruby&apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1
- ↑ https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20260511-high-alert-for-indias-energy-security-viewpoint-by-amitabh-kant-2904192-2026-05-01
- ↑ https://www.bwpeople.in/article/ltts-appoints-amitabh-kant-rajeev-gupta-to-board-603824