Amitabh Kant steps down as G20 Sherpa, to now support free enterprise, startups

New Delhi:  Amitabh Kant on Monday announced his decision to step down as the G20 Sherpa. His resignation comes after 45 years of “dedicated government service” in various roles as G20 Sherpa, CEO of NITI Aayog, Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion, among others.

In a post on social media platforms X and LinkedIn titled “My New Journey”, Kant said that he now aims to “support free enterprise, startups and think tanks”.

“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 shared on X.

While praising his colleagues, peers and friends, he stated that he “now looks forward to contributing to India’s transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by facilitating and supporting free enterprise, startups, think tanks, and academic institutions”.

Kant said that leading India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 was “a significant milestone” in his career.

“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 said in a post on LinkedIn.

He also highlighted the successful inclusion of the African Union in the G20, which fulfilled India’s commitment to global equity and the voice of the Global South.

Further, as the CEO of NITI Aayog, Kant said he led “path-breaking programmes such as the Aspirational Districts Programme, which transformed lives of common citizens in 115 of India’s most underdeveloped districts”.

His tenure also laid the “foundations for India’s digital public infrastructure and pushed policy reforms across sectors — ranging from manufacturing through PLI schemes to innovation through the Atal Innovation Mission and sustainability through the Green Hydrogen Mission and Advanced Chemistry Cells”.

As the Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion, he played a significant role in rolling out “initiatives like Ease of Doing Business, Make in India, and Startup India”.

Kant stated that his journey began in Kerala, where he learned the value of grassroots development, and his work there was the inspiration behind “the “Incredible India” campaign — born from the belief that travel and tourism has the best multiplier impact on jobs and growth”.

–IANS