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 Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the central civil service of the Government of India.^[3]

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]

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]

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.

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

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]}