NEW DELHI: 16th June 2025: A distinguished four-decade career in public service has come to an end with the resignation of Amitabh Kant, one of India’s most powerful bureaucrats and a major architect of several significant economic reforms, as India’s G20 Sherpa.
Kant, who was instrumental in India’s G20 presidency last year, declared that he will now work on a personal basis with academic institutions, think tanks, and startups.
Kant posted on LinkedIn on Monday, saying, “After 45 years of dedicated service to the government, I have decided to embrace new opportunities and begin a new chapter.” “I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting my resignation as India’s G20 Sherpa.”
From 2016 to 2022, Kant, who is 69 years old, was the CEO of NITI Aayog with the longest tenure. He is recognised for spearheading reforms that influenced India’s startup scene and digital infrastructure. He played a pivotal role in important projects like the Ease of Doing Business campaign, Startup India, and Make in India.
His greatest diplomatic triumph came in 2023, when he led the G20’s New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration through tense negotiations in spite of tensions around the world brought on by the conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, Kant played a crucial role in securing the African Union’s admission as a permanent member of the G20, marking a significant turning point in India’s development as a voice for the Global South.
With policy initiatives such as the National Green Hydrogen Mission and campaigns to support advanced chemistry cells for energy storage, Kant’s influence extended beyond economic reforms to encompass climate action and sustainability.
As Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion before his position as G20 Sherpa, Kant played a key role in creating India’s international tourism brand with the “Incredible India” campaign.
“It was an important milestone to lead India’s G20 Presidency,” Kant said. “We brought developmental issues to the forefront and achieved a unanimous consensus despite complex global challenges.”
According to Kant, his next phase will be devoted to working closely with the free enterprise and innovation ecosystems to support India’s goal of becoming a developed economy, or Viksit Bharat. In order to increase India’s influence in determining international policy discussions, he also intends to interact with think tanks around the world.
