New Delhi, June 16: Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa and a seasoned bureaucrat with 45 years of public service, has resigned from his post, marking the end of a distinguished government career that spanned transformative roles across economic, developmental, and diplomatic sectors.
A 1980-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Kant was appointed G20 Sherpa in July 2022, shortly before India assumed the G20 Presidency. In a LinkedIn post titled “My New Journey”, Kant expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for accepting his resignation and for entrusting him with significant national responsibilities.
Leading India’s G20 efforts was described by Kant as a key milestone in his career. Under his leadership, India’s 2023 presidency was praised for being inclusive, ambitious, and decisive. Despite global geopolitical challenges, India secured unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, and successfully brought the African Union into the G20 fold — a move hailed as a step toward global inclusivity.
Kant also highlighted how G20 meetings held across all Indian states and Union Territories promoted cooperative federalism, beautified cities, and celebrated local culture.
Prior to his role as Sherpa, Kant served as CEO of NITI Aayog from 2016 to 2022, where he spearheaded major national initiatives like the Aspirational Districts Programme, Digital Public Infrastructure, Green Hydrogen Mission, and the Atal Innovation Mission. He played a pivotal role in boosting manufacturing through production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes and promoting sustainable development.
Earlier, as Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, he championed reforms such as Ease of Doing Business, Make in India, and Startup India — laying the foundation for India’s modern industrial and entrepreneurial landscape.
Reflecting on his early service in Kerala, Kant recalled launching the iconic God’s Own Country campaign and initiating infrastructure projects such as the Calicut Airport expansion. His work at the national level later led to the Incredible India campaign, reinforcing India’s global image as a rich, diverse destination.
In his farewell message, Kant expressed his intention to now support India’s journey toward becoming a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) by engaging with startups, think tanks, and academic institutions.
He extended his thanks to Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and S. Jaishankar for their mentorship and support during his tenure. (Agencies)
