Amitabh Kant is currently CEO of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI). He is a member of the Indian Administrative Service, IAS and is the author of Branding India - An Incredible Story.
Kant has been a key driver of the Make in India, Startup India, Incredible India and God’s Own Country initiatives that positioned India and Kerala State as leading manufacturing and tourism destinations. These campaigns have won several international awards and embraced a host of activities – infrastructure development, product enhancement, private-public partnership and positioning and branding based on extensive market research.
Kant also conceptualised the Guest is God campaign to train taxi drivers, guides and immigration officials and make them stake holders in the tourism development process. Kant was also the National Project Director of the Rural Tourism Project of UNDP which made a paradigm shift in spreading tourism to Indian villages which had core-competency in handicrafts and culture.
In his capacity as Secretary of Industries for the government of India, Kant drove the Ease of Doing Business initiative and the ranking of states on outcome parameters. He is also the Chairman of the Committee to implement Digital Payment in India.
Amitabh Kant has worked as Chairman and Managing Director of the India Tourism Development Corporation, Joint Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism for the government of India, Secretary of Tourism for the government of Kerala as well as multiple other significant roles in the state of Kerala. During his tenure in Kerala, he structured the Calicut Airport as a private sector project based on User’s Free and developed the BSES Power Project and Mattanchery Bridge under Private Public Partnership.
