New Delhi: Veteran bureaucrat and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant stepped down as India’s G20 Sherpa, nearly three years after his appointment to the position.
“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 posted on X on Monday.
A 1980-batch former IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Kant was appointed as India’s G20 Sherpa in July 2022, months before India assumed the G20 Presidency.
The former bureaucrat described India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 as one of the most important milestones in his career. He said that India was able to achieve consensus on the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration despite global challenges.
“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,” he posted.
He also highlighted India’s success in pushing for the inclusion of the African Union in the G20. “We fulfilled India’s commitment to global equity and gave voice to the Global South,” Kant said.
It was during his tenure at the NITI Aayog CEO (between 2016 and 2022) that a number of transformative programs like the Aspirational Districts Programme were rolled out. This programme helped improve lives in 115 of India’s most underdeveloped districts. He also worked on programs like the National Electric Mobility Mission, SDG localisation, and the LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign.
“I now look forward to India’s transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by supporting free enterprise, startups, think tanks, and academic institutions,” Kant wrote.
