Updated October 15, 2022
Amitabh Kant, presently working as the CEO of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1980 batch from the Kerala cadre. He worked at the helm of the policy think tank of the govt. regime from 2016 to July 2022. Mr. Kant has been on the list of the World’s 50 influential people revolutionizing governance.
Before ascending to CEO of NITI Aayog, Mr. Kant worked as the National Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Joint Secretary- Ministry of Tourism, Secretary, Tourism in Kerala, and many more. Amitabh Kant pilots many award-winning initiatives of govt, including “Incredible India,” “Make in India,” “Ease of Doing Business”, etc.
Amitabh Kant as CEO to NITI Aayog had Succeeded Sindhushree Khullar (the first CEO to NITI Aaayog). Currently, Parameswaran Iyer, an Ex IAS, 1981 batch is the CEO.
Personal Details of Amitabh Kant
- Date of Birth- March 1, 1956
- Age- 65 Years, 9 months
- Place of Birth- New Delhi
- Nationality- Indian
- Alma mater- University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Edu. Qualification- B.A. Economics, and M.A. in International Relations
- Profession- Civil Servant
- Zodiac Sign- Pisces
- Father- Rajni Kant
- Mother- Sita Kant
- Brother- Ravi Kant
- Wife- Ranjeeta Kant (Singer)
- Daughters- Vedika Kant (Risk Analyst) and Vanshica Kant
- Son- None
Life, Family, and Education
Amitabh Kant was born on 1st March 1956 in New Delhi, India. He is the second and current Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog. His father is Rajni Kant and mother’s name is Sita Kant. His better half is Ranjeeta Kant, a Singer. He has two daughters named Vedika Kant (Risk Analyst) and Vanshica Kant.
Mr. Kant started his education at the Modern School, Delhi. He did his B.A. in economics (Hons) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and pursued his M.A in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Dr Kant is a chevening Scholar. De facto, he attended Manchester Business School on a chevening Scholarship. Later, he was a student in the Mid-career Program at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Career of Amitabh Kant
Being labelled as one of the prominent civil servants of India, Amitabh Kant is currently serving as the CEO of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. India Today’s High & Mighty rankings of 2019 presented Kant as one of the most powerful people in India under the category of “The Supercrats – India’s Top Bureaucrats” along with other bureaucrats such as Nripendra Misra and Ajit Doval.
Apart from being a CEO of NITI Aayog, Mr. Kant served the State of Kerala and Government of India in different capacities. His major designations includes following:
(a) Sub Collector of Thalassery, Kerala
(b) District Collector, Kozikhode, Kerala
(c) Managing Director, Matsyafed, Kerala
(d) Managing Director, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation
(e) Secretary- Tourism, Government of Kerala
(f)Joint Secretary- Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Amitabh Kant’s experience with tourism sector started when he was the Secretary, Tourism in Kerala. Later Mr. Kant played a crucial role in driving the initiatives like “Make in India,” Startup India, “Incredible India,” and “God’s Own Country”, which established India as leading manufacturing and tourism destinations. They used a variety of strategies such as improvement of product and infrastructure, Public-Private partnership, and branding and positioning.
These initiatives undertaken by Mr. Kant translated into many international awards. It helps Kerala to become the most popular tourist destination in India. Along with this, he formed and implemented the idea of “Atithi Devo Bhavah” – “Guest is God” campaign to train taxi drivers, guides, immigration officials and make them interested in the tourism development process.
(f) National Project Director of the Rural Tourism Project of UNDP– Amitabh Kant showed his proficiency in every field wherever he posted. He brought an amazing idea; when he was the National Project Director of the Rural Tourism Project of UNDP. He and his team led an innovative approach for expanding the concept of tourism in Indian villages by inviting the world to see what is best in India.
(g) Chairman & Managing Directors, ITDC– Mr. Kant has previously worked as Chairman and Managing Director at Indian Tourism Development Corporations.
(h) CEO & Chairman of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC)– Kant displayed his proficiency when he was the Secretary, Tourism in Kerala and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Government of India. On account of his his work ethics, he was offered the CEO and Chairman of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC).
During his stint as the CEO and Chairman of DMICDC, Mr. Kant made all his out efforts to eliminate the hurdles that come in the path of the project. This (DMIC) project is being developed by the government of India as a global manufacturing and investment destination supported by world-class infrastructure and enabling policy framework. The project of DMIC envisages the development of smart industrial cities with new technology that will boost India’s GDP growth with Ease of doing business.
DMIC) projectis is one of the largest infrastructure projects with an estimated investment of 90 billion US dollar. The investment aincludes 24 industrial regions, eight smart cities, two international airports, five power projects, two mass rapid transit systems, and two logistical hubs. The project has received a major boost from the government of Japan and India, and the work is in progress at a good pace.
(h) Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Government of India– Before, he was appointed as the CEO of NITI Aayog in 2016, he was the national Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Government of India. During his tenure as Secretary of DIPP, he was responsible for formulating and implementing industrial policies and strategies for industrial development and for monitoring the performance and growth of the particular industrial sectors. Additionally, he was responsible for the formulation and implementation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy and Promotion and facilitation of FDI, and policies concerning Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in the areas of Patents, Trademarks, Industrial Designs, and Geographical Indications. He was also accountable for promoting Productivity, the quality of products, and Technical Cooperation.
(i) CEO of NITI (National Institutional for Transforming India) Aayog- Government of India–
Along with his current role as the CEO of NITI Aayog, Kant serves as a Director in the board of the National Highways Authority of India, Director of the Board of the India International Convention Centre, member of the National Statistical Commission of India, Member of the Digital Communications Commission of India, Member of the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) and the Chairman of the Executive Council of the National Institute of Labour Economics, Research, and Development.
Awards and Honours to Mr. Amitabh Kant
Amitabh Kant has won many awards and honours for his work.
(a) He received the Economic Times Policy Change Agent of the Year Award,
(b) The Bloomberg TV Personality of the year Award
(c) The NDTV Administrator of the year Award
(d) The Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors.
(e) Amitabh Kant is also recipient of One Globe Award-2016 for leadership in Transforming Governance for the 21st Century.
(f) Amitabh is the recipient of Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship, awarded by the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
(g) He is a Member of the Steering Board of “Shaping the Future of Production Systems” of World Economic Forum.
(h) He is the recipient of Golden Peacock Award for Leadership in Economic Transformation-2017.
Literary Works by Amitabh Kant
He has authored a couple of literature, to say:
(a) Branding India: An Incredible Story (2009) and Incredible India 2.0
(b) Synergies of Growth and Governance (2019),
(c) Edited The Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas for India (2018).
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