Amitabh Kant

• University of Delhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru University

Amitabh Kant
Amitabh Kant at the WTTC Global Summit 2017
Indian emissary to G20
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 July 2022
Occupation	Civil servant
Website	Official website

Amitabh Kant (born 1 March 1956) is presently India's G20 Sherpa. ^[1] He is an Indian bureaucrat and the former chief executive officer of NITI Aayog, ^[2] a public policy think tank of the Government of India. He is a retired member of the 1980 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) batch, the central civil service of the Government of India. ^[3]

Early life

Amitabh Kant was born on 1 March 1956. He first studied at Modern School, Delhi, graduated with a degree in Economics (Hons.) from St. Stephen's College, Delhi ^[4] and earned an M.A. in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. ^[5] He was a Chevening Scholar. ^[6]

Career

Kant began his Indian Administrative Service career in the Kerala cadre, working as sub collector of Thalassery., ^[7] where he carried out infrastructural work such as widening roads, removing encroachments, relocating the town's fish market from the town-centre to the beach area, and initiating the Tellicherry Carnival for communal harmony. ^[8]

After his tenure in Tellicherry, Kant was appointed as the Managing Director of the Kerala State Co-operative Federation for Fisheries Development Ltd ^[9] ., known as 'Matsyafed.' In this role, he is credited with introducing fibreglass boats and outboard motor technology in the fisheries sector, as well as launching beach-level auctions. ^[10]

As District Collector of Kozhikode (Calicut), he played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Calicut airport. ^[11] His efforts included revamping the Mananchira Maidan, ^[12] reconstructing the building of the Kozhikode Public Library and Research Centre, ^[13] and organising the 'Malabar Mahotsav' cultural festival. ^[14]

As Tourism Secretary in Kerala, Kant promoted the state as a tourist destination, ^[15] and is credited with popularising the slogan “Kerala: God's Own Country” during his tenure. ^[16]

After his term in Kerala, Kant was appointed as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism in 2001, where he stayed till 2007. ^[17] During this time, he conceived the 'Incredible India' campaign through Ogilvy and Mather, intending to transform India into a sought-after tourist destination. ^[18] He also conceptualised and executed the ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’(Guest is God) campaign to train taxi drivers, tourist guides, and immigration officials. ^[19]

Later, as the Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Kant drove initiatives such as "Make in India," "Start Up India," and "Ease of Doing Business." ^[20]

Kant was CEO of NITI Aayog from 2016 to 2022. ^[21] During his tenure, he chaired Empowered Group 3 for COVID-19 management and initiated national-level projects like Asset Monetization and National Mission for Transformative Mobility. Additionally, he advocated for natural farming methods. ^[22] In this role, he drove India’s Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), aimed at improving the socio-economic indicators of 112 of India's most backward districts. ^[23]

Presently, he is India's G20 Sherpa to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ^[24]

India Today's High & Mighty rankings of 2019 featured Kant as one of the most powerful people in India under the category of "The Supercrats - India's Top Bureaucrats". ^[25]

Publications

Kant is the author of books 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 co-authored with Amit Kapoor. He is also the editor of The Path Ahead- Transformative Ideas for India, and has written over 500 articles in leading Indian and foreign publications.

Honours

• The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star (2023) ^[26]

Controversies

In December 2020, Kant attracted controversy after remarking at a public event, organized by Swarajya magazine, that enacting "tough reforms" were hard in India, since it is "too much of a democracy". ^{[27] [28] [29] [30]}

References

1. Sharma, Harikishan (10 September 2023). "The face behind India's G20 prep: Sherpa Amitabh Kant". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
2. "India's startup movement is fast gaining momentum: Amitabh Kant". The Economic Times. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
3. "NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant's tenure extended by one year". The Hindu. 2021-06-29. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-07-23.
4. "Did you know these 6 top office holders in India went to the same college?". India Today. 17 December 2018.
5. "Tourism Tales with Amitabh Kant". www.braingainmag.com. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
6. "Chief Executive Officer".
7. "Reviving Nostalgic Memories: DIPP secretary Amitabh Kant's journey to Tellicherry, his first posting" . Retrieved 2019-10-30.
8. Bansal, Rashmi (20 May 2019). Shine Bright. Westland. p. 292. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
9. Special, Correspondent. "With another extension as Niti Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant remains influential policymaker". 30 June 2021. The Hindu. Retrieved 23 April 2024.{{cite news}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
10. "Cover Story" (PDF). bindugopalrao. Hotelier India Awards 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
11. Jacob, Rahul (16 Jan 2016). "Lunch with BS: Amitabh Kant". Business Standard. Business Standard. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
12. I, Sreenath (3 June 2017). "How Mananchira became the pride of Kozhikode residents". OnManorama. Malayala Manorama. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
13. Staff Reporter (31 May 2017). "Library Council takes over Mananchira public library". The Hindu. The Hindu. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
14. Bansal, Rashmi (20 May 2019). Shine Bright. Westland. p. 292. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
15. "The Kerala tourism secretary job was seen as a lousy posting: Amitabh Kant" . Retrieved 2023-03-06.
16. Sharma, Harikishan (10 September 2023). "The face behind India's G20 prep: Sherpa Amitabh Kant". The Indian Express. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
17. "The making of an incredible story". India Today. India Today Group. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
18. "How a punishment posting for Amitabh Kant gave birth to Incredible India campaign". exchange4media. exchange4media. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
19. "Amitabh Kant gets two-year extension as Niti Aayog CEO". Times of India. Times of India. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
20. Mathur, Nandita (15 February 2016). "Amitabh Kant: The intention is to make India a hub of manufacturing". The Mint. The Mint. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
21. "Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant gets another extension, till June 2022". The Economic Times. The Economic Times. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
22. Unknown, Surabi (17 March 2024). "A man for all seasons: Here's what makes Amitabh Kant one of India's finest policymakers". Money Control. Money Control. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
23. Chatterji, Saubhadra (12 June 2021). "UN arm's report praises govt over Aspirational Districts programme". Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
24. "Amitabh Kant set to be India's G20 sherpa". Hindustan Times. 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
25. "The most powerful people of India 2019 - Full list". India Today. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
26. "令和５年秋の外国人叙勲 受章者名簿" (PDF). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
27. "'Tough Reforms Difficult in India, We Are Too Much of a Democracy,' Says Niti Aayog CEO". The Wire. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
28. "Why Niti Aayog CEO's statement is a warning to the people". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
29. "Niti Aayog's Kant denies saying India is 'too much of a democracy', Twitter users share event clip". Scroll.in. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
30. "Hindustan Times withdraws report on Niti Aayog CEO's 'too much democracy' comment". Newslaundry. Retrieved 2020-12-09.

External links

• Media related to Amitabh Kant at Wikimedia Commons