Amitabh Kant resigns as G20 Sherpa after 45 years in govt service
Amitabh Kant, who managed diverse assignments during his 45 years in government service, has resigned as the G20 Sherpa.
The former NITI Aayog Chief made the announcement in a post on LinkedIn on Monday where he said he would be embracing new opportunities and moving forward in life.
'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 said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Kant, a retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was appointed as India's G20 Sherpa in July 2022.
'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 added.
As the G20 sherpa, Kant presided over G20 meetings across every state and Union Territory, engaging local artists and craftsmen and promoting local cuisines.
A G20 Sherpa serves as a personal representative of a country in the annual G20 summit, where the leading economies of the world participates in deliberations and meetings on the pressing issues concerning the world.
The G20 countries appoints their own Sherpas, a term that is derived from the sherpas of Nepal, who guide mountaineers in the Himalayas during expeditions.
Kant also served as the CEO of NITI Aayog from 2016-2022, where he said he had the privilege of being part of the transformative Aspirational Districts Programme.
Under the programme, the committee uplifted 115 of India's most backward districts by improving their socio-economic indicators and creating opportunities for lakhs of people.
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India Gazette
an hour ago
- 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
4 hours ago
- 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.
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Amitabh Kant steps down as G20 Sherpa, to shift focus to private sector and policy innovation
New Delhi: India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, who was instrumental in forging consensus among world leaders during India's G20 presidency amid sharp geopolitical rifts, has stepped down from the role, signalling a move to the private sector. In a LinkedIn post, Kant said that after 45 years in government service, he was embracing new opportunities outside the public sector. 'I now look forward to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by supporting free enterprise, start-ups, think tanks and academic institutions,' he wrote. He told Mint that he would share details of his next steps in due course. Kant, one of India's most visible and articulate bureaucrats, played a central role in shaping national initiatives ranging from infrastructure development to the 'Make in India' push and the turnaround of over 100 backward districts through the Aspirational Districts Programme. Previously, as chief executive of federal policy think tank NITI Aayog and later as G20 Sherpa, Kant articulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision on development, innovation, and sustainability. He was deeply involved in policies focused on low-carbon growth, digital infrastructure, and industrial reform. Kant expressed gratitude to Modi for entrusting him with key developmental roles that 'shaped India's growth trajectory.' India's G20 presidency, he said, was a major milestone in his career—'people-centric and inclusive,' with meetings held across all states and union territories. This, he noted, 'strengthened cooperative federalism, celebrated local culture, and upgraded infrastructure nationwide.' He also highlighted India's role in bringing the African Union into the G20 as a permanent member, calling it a 'fulfilment of our commitment to global equity and the voice of the Global South.' At NITI Aayog, Kant championed the creation of India's digital public infrastructure and oversaw policy reforms across sectors—from manufacturing and innovation to sustainability. These included the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, the Atal Innovation Mission, the green hydrogen push, and support for advanced chemistry cell technology. Kant said NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Programme transformed the lives of 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 production linked incentive 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,' Kant said. Earlier, as secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion (now DPIIT), Kant led reforms that dramatically improved India's ease of doing business and helped elevate the country by 79 ranks in the World Bank's global rankings. He was also instrumental in shaping India's tourism branding, helping conceptualize Kerala's 'God's Own Country' campaign and the Centre's 'Incredible India' initiative.
