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The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Amitabh Kant resigns as G-20 Sherpa, thanks PM Modi for the opportunities
Amitabh Kant, who managed diverse assignments during his 45 years in government service, has resigned as the G-20 Sherpa. Mr. Kant, a retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre, was appointed as India's G-20 Sherpa in July 2022, months before India assumed the G-20 Presidency. In a LinkedIn post titled 'My New Journey', Mr. 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 G-20 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.' Mr. Kant, who was the face behind India's G-20 preparations, said leading multilateral negotiations as the country's Sherpa has been one of the most significant milestones in his career. In 2023, Mr. Kant said India executed one of the most inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive G-20 presidencies ever seen in the history of the forum. 'We achieved unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, despite significant geopolitical challenges, managing to refocus the world's attention on critical developmental priorities such as digital public infrastructure, multilateral financial reform, climate finance, and women-led development,' he said. He said India held G-20 meetings across every State and Union Territory, which contributed significantly to cooperative federalism by beautifying and upgrading cities, engaging local artists and craftsmen, and promoting local cuisines. 'We also successfully expanded the G-20's scope to include the African Union, fulfilling India's promise and commitment to global inclusivity and collaboration with the Global South,' he said. Earlier, as CEO of NITI Aayog from 2016-2022, Mr. Kant said he had the privilege of being part of the transformative Aspirational Districts Programme, which uplifted 115 of India's most backward districts by improving socio-economic indicators and creating opportunities for millions of our citizens. 'During those 6+ years, NITI played a key role in pushing digital public infrastructure through policy, and helped lay the foundational groundwork for India's digital revolution,' he said, adding that through the production-linked incentive schemes to boost manufacturing and accelerate industrial growth, the Green Hydrogen Mission, advanced chemistry cells, and the Atal Innovation Mission, the Aayog played a key role in positioning India as a global leader in climate action, cutting-edge innovation, and sustainable enterprise. Mr. Kant said his tenure as Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, now called the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, was dedicated to reform and liberalisation, with focus on ease of doing business, and the Make in India and Startup India initiatives, which continue to act as a framework for India's thriving ecosystem of manufacturing. Throughout his career, Mr. Kant said he has been guided by a strong sense of service to a place and its people. 'Kerala was the first home to my IAS career, and I drew deeply from its communities — initiating the 'God's Own Country' campaign, supporting the expansion of Calicut Airport, and working closely with the fishermen and women of Kerala,' the former NITI Aayog CEO said. Mr. Kant said he took everything he learnt and poured it into policies at the Centre — 'Incredible India' was born during his time as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism because he saw what shining a light on India's diversity can do for the economy, ecology, and essence of a place. 'India has, and will always be, Incredible. In a small way, I have contributed to helping the world recognise that,' he said. Mr. Kant also said he is incredibly grateful to Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and S. Jaishankar for their inspiration, guidance, and trust. 'I now look forward to contributing to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by facilitating and supporting free enterprise, startups, think tanks, and academic institutions,' he said.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant steps down after 45 years of public service
After serving for over 45 years in government, India's G20 Sherpa and former Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant stepped down on Monday. 'I have decided to embrace new opportunities and begin a new chapter. I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for accepting my resignation as India's G20 Sherpa and for the trust he placed in me to drive developmental initiatives that shaped India's growth trajectory,' Kant wrote on the social media platform LinkedIn. Kant was India's G20 Sherpa for the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi and worked towards building international consensus on key issues in the run-up to the summit. 'Leading India's G20 Presidency in 2023 was a significant milestone in my career. Despite complex global challenges, we achieved unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, and refocused attention on key developmental issues. India's G20 presidency was people-centric and inclusive, with meetings held across all states and union territories. This strengthened cooperative federalism, celebrated local culture and upgraded infrastructure nationwide. We also successfully ensured the inclusion of the African Union in the G20, fulfilling India's commitment to global equity and the voice of the Global South,' he wrote. On his professional future, Kant did not disclose his immediate plans, but said that he is on the board of various academic institutions and will continue to serve there, along with other engagements with industry. 'Having worked in the government for years, I will continue to work towards the progress of the country, albeit in different ways. I can only say that I will keep working for research, innovation, academic institutions, startups and industry,' he told Business Standard. Kant said that key sectors in India's growth story such as technology and infrastructure will continue to be his areas of focus. In his LinkedIn post, he said he would support free enterprise for Viksit Bharat (developed India). 'I'd requested the Prime Minister about a year ago, and I'm grateful that he approved my request. I felt like I needed a break after over four decades in government,' he said. Kant was the longest-serving CEO of Niti Aayog — India's official policy think tank — where he served between 2016 and 2022. 'I had the privilege to lead path-breaking programmes such as the Aspirational Districts Programme, which transformed lives of common citizens in 115 of India's most underdeveloped districts. We helped lay the foundations for India's digital public infrastructure and pushed policy reforms across sectors — ranging from manufacturing through PLI schemes to innovation through the Atal Innovation Mission and sustainability through the Green Hydrogen Mission and Advanced Chemistry Cells. These efforts positioned India as a leader in innovation and climate action,' he wrote. In his previous roles, including Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion in the central government (2014–2016), he was a key driver of flagship national initiatives such as Startup India and Make in India. His work in promoting tourism — first with the Government of Kerala and later at the Centre — earned him major recognition, chiefly for the Incredible India and Kerala: God's Own Country campaigns.
The Print
6 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Decorated civil servant & spearhead of key Modi govt initiatives, Amitabh Kant resigns as G20 Sherpa
In a post on social media platform 'X' and LinkedIn, Kant said that he was deeply grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting his resignation as India's G20 Sherpa and for the trust he placed in him to drive developmental initiatives that shaped India's growth trajectory. Kant told ThePrint that he would announce his future role soon. 'It was a fascinating experience… very unique. No institution could have provided me this kind of opportunity and experience,' Kant said about his 45-year stint in the government. On his future plans, Kant wrote, 'I now look forward to contributing to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat (developed India) by facilitating and supporting free enterprise, startups, think tanks, and academic institutions.' Though Kant retired from the IAS in 2016, he has held high profile posts since then. He was appointed CEO of federal think tank NITI Aayog soon after he retired in 2016 for a two-year term. His dynamism at NITI Aayog in spearheading some of the Modi government's flagship initiatives like the Aspirational Districts Programme ensured that he got two extensions at the helm. But he was roped in again by the PM soon after his tenure ended in NITI Aayog. He was named India's G20 Sherpa, a position which he said was both challenging and one of his most memorable experiences in the 45 years of working with the government. 'It was a defining moment when amidst the geopolitical challenges, we achieved a unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration from all the G20 heads,' Kant told ThePrint. He wrote about the challenges he faced as a Sherpa in adopting a consensus declaration in his book How India Scaled Mt G20: The Inside Story of the G20 Presidency. 'The text continued to face constant revisions and objections after 300 hours of negotiations over 250 bilateral meetings… PM Modi was acutely aware of the stakes involved. He had asked me to send him urgent situation reports every two hours, a task that demanded immense multitasking and quick analysis. This constant communication kept PM Modi informed, but also spurred us into action, helping us map out the negotiations and take stock of our progress,' he wrote in the book. Prior to his appointment as G20 Sherpa, Kant held another challenging role as the CEO of NITI Aayog in 2016 soon after his retirement. He launched the Aspirational Districts programme in 2018 to transform 115 of the most backward districts of India across 28 states. 'Through the programme we transformed the lives of the poorest and under-served,' he said. The programme aims to improve socio-economic indicators in five major areas—health and nutrition, education, agriculture, drinking water and sanitation, financial inclusion, basic infrastructure and overall social development—across 329 of the most under-developed districts of India. He was also involved in some of the other big ticket initiatives of the government at NITI Aayog, like laying the foundation for India's digital public infrastructure and implementing the PLI scheme to boost manufacturing and exports. Transforming Calicut to God's Own Country campaign His diligence was evident from the time he was the collector of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, and took up the challenge of transforming the largest urban area in the Malabar coast, where Vasco Da Gama landed in May 1498 as part of a trade mission from Portugal. 'Calicut had encroachments all around… the infrastructure was crumbling. It had a decrepit look. There was a running joke that what Vasco Da Gama could not do, the Calicut collector will,' Kant recalled. He took up the challenging task and transformed the city in a short period. 'We got the encroachments removed, upgraded the civic infrastructure–be it reviving the Mananchaira Maidam or expanding the Calicut airport. I also worked with the traditional fishermen to transform their lives by introducing them to new technology,' he told ThePrint. Kant was also the brain behind the 'God's Own Country' campaign to promote Kerala as a must-visit tourist destination. Later as tourism secretary at the Centre, he was behind the 'Incredible India' campaign. Prolific career at the Centre As industries secretary, he led the government initiatives such as 'Ease of Doing Business', 'Make in India' and 'Start Up India' to promote manufacturing and create jobs. He was also the CEO of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation. It was during his tenure that the plan to develop seven greenfield industrial cities including Dholera was rolled out. His post retirement stint in NITI Aayog saw the release of a number of indices including the School Education and Quality Index and the Multidimensional Poverty Index. At NITI Aayog, he established India's National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage, which is responsible for driving the uptake of clean mobility in the country. The mission evolved policies and interventions which supported millions of citizens and hundreds of government agencies across the country to make the switch to electric mobility. A Delhi boy, Kant did his schooling from Modern School and graduated in Economics from St. Stephens college. He followed it up with a masters from Jawaharlal Nehru University before getting selected for the IAS. Extremely suave and dynamic, Kant was known to be close to PM Modi. He has authored several books including Branding India-An Incredible Story. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: G20 India leaders' declaration nearly failed. A non-negotiable plan saved it: Amitabh Kant
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Amitabh Kant resigns as G20 Sherpa, begins new journey after 45 years Govt service:
New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): Amitabh Kant resigned as India's G20 Sherpa on Monday spoke about his 'New Journey' in which he said he is looking forward to 'contributing to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat' by helping with supporting various startups, think tanks and academic institutions. A retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Kerala cadre, was appointed as India's G20 Sherpa in July 2022. Kant has represented India during its G20 presidency and hosted the annual summit in New Delhi in 2023. 'I am grateful to all my colleagues, peers and friends for their patience, understanding, and support. I now look forward to contributing to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by facilitating and supporting free enterprise, startups, think tanks, and academic institutions,' Kant's post on social media platform X read. A G20 Sherpa is a personal representative of a country in the annual G20 summit, and participates in the discussions and negotiations. Each country appoints their own Sherpas. The term comes from the sherpas of Nepal, who guide mountaineers in the Himalayas during expeditions. Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him the opportunity to work for India's development, Kant wrote, 'My New Journey. 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.' Kant underlined how a significant milestone for him was leading the country in the 2023 G20 summit, while India held the G20 presidency and organised the summit in New Delhi. 'Leading India's G20 Presidency in 2023 was a significant milestone in my career. Despite complex global challenges, we achieved unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, and refocused attention on key developmental issues,' Kant said. 'India's G20 presidency was people-centric and inclusive, with meetings held across all states and union territories. This strengthened cooperative federalism, celebrated local culture, and upgraded infrastructure nationwide. We also successfully ensured the inclusion of the African Union in the G20, fulfilling India's commitment to global equity and the voice of the Global South,' he said. Kant has also been the Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion and the CEO of NITI Aayog. Highlighting his tenure at NITI Aayog, Kant said, 'I had the privilege to lead path-breaking programs such as the Aspirational Districts Programme, which transformed lives of common citizens in 115 of India's most underdeveloped districts. We helped lay the foundations for India's digital public infrastructure and pushed policy reforms across sectors--ranging from manufacturing through PLI schemes to innovation through the Atal Innovation Mission and sustainability through the Green Hydrogen Mission and Advanced Chemistry Cells.' As Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Kant said he focused on reform and liberalisation and drove key initiatives like Ease of Doing Business, Make in India, and Startup India, which he said helped India climb up 79 places in World Bank rankings. Kant also thanked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, PK Mishra for their guidance and support. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant steps down from government service
India's G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, 69, on Monday announced he has stepped down from government service, ending a 45-year-long career, and said he will engage with startups, think tanks, and academic institutions in a personal capacity. 'My New Journey: After 45 years of dedicated government service, I have made the decision to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life,' Kant wrote on X. 'I am incredibly thankful to the Prime Minister of India [Narendra Modi] 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. I am grateful to all my colleagues, peers and friends for their patience, understanding, and support.' On LinkedIn, Kant wrote he has decided to embrace new opportunities and begin a new chapter. He referred to the trust Modi placed in him to drive developmental initiatives that shaped India's growth trajectory. Kant thanked finance and external affairs ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar, and PK Mishra, the Prime Minister's principal secretary, for their guidance and support. 'I now look forward to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by supporting free enterprise, Startups, think tanks and academic institutions.' Kant was named G20 Sherpa in July 2022 and held the position during India's presidency of the grouping in 2023. 'Leading India's G20 Presidency in 2023 was a significant milestone in my career. Despite complex global challenges, we achieved unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, and refocused attention on key developmental issues. We also successfully ensured the inclusion of the African Union in the G20, fulfilling India's commitment to global equity and the voice of the Global South,' said Kant, who began his career in 1980 as a Kerala cadre Indian Administrative Service officer. Kant was NITI Aayog's longest-serving CEO from February 2016 to June 2022. He oversaw the Aspirational Districts Programme, the Atal Innovation Mission, and policy efforts on digital infrastructure, green hydrogen, and advanced chemistry cells. 'We helped lay the foundations for India's digital public infrastructure and pushed policy reforms across sectors—ranging from manufacturing through PLI schemes to innovation through the Atal Innovation Mission and sustainability through the Green Hydrogen Mission and Advanced Chemistry Cells,' he said. Kant served as department for industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) secretary from 2014 to 2016, and tourism ministry joint secretary from 2001 to 2007. 'We initiated the 'Incredible India' campaign—born from the belief that travel & tourism has the best multiplier impact on jobs and growth,' he said. Kant reflected on the early years of his career and wrote his journey began in Kerala, where he learned the value of grassroots development. 'From the 'God's Own Country' campaign to rejuvenating Calicut city by reviving Mananchaira Maidan, removing vast encroachments, expanding Calicut Airport and working closely with fishing community — these experiences shaped my career.' He highlighted initiatives such as Ease of Doing Business, Make in India, and Startup India during his tenure at DIPP and added it helped India improve by 79 ranks in the World Bank's ease of doing business rankings. Kant said India has always been, and will always be, Incredible. 'Humbled to have played a small role. Thank you for being part of this journey.' He shared a collage of images from his government service, including with Modi, and the Dalai Lama.
