Amitabh Kant resigns as India's G20 Sherpa, brings an end to 45-year public service career

India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on June 16 announced that he is stepping down from his role, ending a 45-year career in public service. The former Niti Aayog CEO thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others, saying it’s time for him to “embrace new opportunities”.

Kant, a retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Kerala cadre, was appointed as India's G20 Sherpa in July 2022, months before India assumed the G20 Presidency.

“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,” he said in a post on X and LinkedIn.

Kant said he is ‘grateful’ to all his friends and colleagues and now he is looking forward to contribute to India’s “transformational journey” by supporting startups and think tanks.

He recalled his journey in public service that began in Kerala.