Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog, has resigned as India's G20 Sherpa. Kant has been in government service for 45 years and has managed diverse assignments during his tenure. He was appointed as India's G20 Sherpa in July 2022, months before India assumed the G20 Presidency.
In a LinkedIn post titled 'My New Journey' Kant said: "After 45 years of dedicated government service, I have made the decision to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life. I am incredibly thankful to the Prime Minister of India for accepting my resignation as G20 Sherpa and for having given me the opportunity to drive a range of developmental initiatives and contribute to the growth, development, and progress of India."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted Kant's resignation. Kant is a retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Kerala cadre.
Key Driver Of Make In India
Kant was NITI Aayog CEO for almost six years and completed his extended term last month.
He was appointed as the CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (Niti Aayog) on February 17, 2016, for a fixed two-year term. However, he was given several extensions.
Prior to that, the Kerala-cadre IAS officer was secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Kant has been a key driver of the Make in India, Startup India, Incredible India and God's Own Country initiatives that positioned India and Kerala as leading manufacturing and tourism destinations.
Kant played a key role in Niti Aayog's policy making, with a focus on Digital India, asset monetisation, disinvestment, Aspirational Districts Programme and electric vehicles, among others.