Outlook Business Desk
After a 45-year stint in public service, Amitabh Kant has resigned as India’s G20 Sherpa. He has served in the role since 2022 and was instrumental during India’s 2023 G20 presidency. Kant is now planning to work with startups, think tanks and academic institutions independently.
Before his G20 Sherpa role, Amitabh Kant held key policy-making posts—serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism (2001–07) and later as Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion (2014–16).
“My New Journey: After 45 years of dedicated government service, I have made the decision to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life. I have made the decision to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life,” he stated on his Linkedin post.
Posting on Twitter, Kant also expressed his gratitude and reflected on his journey in public service., “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.
“To my Ministers—Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman & Dr S. Jaishankar & Prl Secy to PM Shri P.K. Mishra – I am grateful for your guidance and support. To all my colleagues, mentors & friends—thank you for your inspiration. I now look forward to India’s transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by supporting free enterprise, Startups, think tanks and academic institutions,” he posted.
“Leading India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 was a significant milestone in my career... we achieved unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration,” Kant wrote on LinkedIn. “We also successfully ensured the inclusion of the African Union in the G20.''
Reflecting on his NITI Aayog tenure, Kant said they laid the groundwork for India’s digital public infrastructure and reforms across sectors—from manufacturing (PLI), to innovation (Atal Mission), and sustainability (Green Hydrogen, ACCs).