NEW DELHI: Veteran bureaucrat Amitabh Kant announced his decision to step down as India’s G20 Sherpa, marking the end of a distinguished 45-year career in public service. Over the decades, Kant held several pivotal roles, including CEO of NITI Aayog and Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

“After 45 years of dedicated government service, I have decided to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life,” Kant wrote in a post on X titled ‘My New Journey’. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for entrusting him with key responsibilities and for accepting his resignation.

Reflecting on his tenure as G20 Sherpa, Kant called India’s G20 Presidency “a defining milestone,” emphasizing its inclusive and people-centric approach. “With meetings held across all states and union territories, the summit strengthened cooperative federalism, celebrated local cultures, and led to a nationwide upgrade in infrastructure,” he noted in a LinkedIn post.

He also underscored the historic inclusion of the African Union as a permanent G20 member — a move that, he said, fulfilled India’s commitment to global equity and amplifying the voice of the Global South.

During his time at NITI Aayog, Kant led several transformative initiatives. These included the Aspirational Districts Programme, the development of India’s digital public infrastructure, and innovation platforms such as the Atal Innovation Mission. He also played a key role in advancing manufacturing through the PLI scheme and promoting sustainability via the Green Hydrogen and Advanced Chemistry Cell missions.

As DIPP Secretary, Kant was instrumental in driving major national initiatives such as Ease of Doing Business, Make in India, and Startup India.

Looking back on his early days as a district collector in Kerala, Kant credited his grassroots experiences with shaping his long-standing commitment to development. Among his landmark contributions was the Incredible India campaign — a global success that he said drew inspiration from tourism’s potential to drive jobs and growth.

Looking ahead, Kant said his next chapter would focus on supporting India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by empowering enterprise and innovation.