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Amitabh Kant Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 March 1956

Age66 Years

BirthplaceNew Delhi

ProfessionCivil Servant

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseRanjeeta Kant

FamilyFather - Rajni Kant; Mother - Sita Kant; Brother - Ravi Kant; Daughters - Vedika Kant, Vanshica Kant

Amitabh Kant Biography

Amitabh Kant is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer known for leading major national policy initiatives and for his six-year tenure as CEO of N‑

Early life and background

Amitabh Kant was born on 1 March 1956 and grew up in New Delhi. He attended Modern School in Delhi and completed an undergraduate degree in economics (Honours) at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. He went on to earn an M.A. from Jawaharlal Nehru University and pursued further studies at institutions including Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Career

Amitabh Kant joined the Indian Administrative Service in the 1980 batch and was allotted the Kerala cadre. Early postings included work as Sub Collector of Thalassery and as District Collector in Kozhikode. In Kerala he also served in leadership roles such as Managing Director of Matsyafed and Managing Director of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, and he held the post of Secretary for Tourism in the state government.

At the central level, Kant has held a range of senior positions across ministries and public bodies. He served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and later as Chairman and CEO of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC). He was Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), where his responsibilities included oversight of industrial performance, formulation of industrial policy and strategies, and areas touching on intellectual property and foreign direct investment policy.

Kant has been associated with national branding and economic campaigns. He played a prominent role in initiatives framed to promote manufacturing and tourism in India, and he led efforts to develop rural tourism during his tenure as National Project Director for a UNDP project. He has described work to position Kerala and India as destination brands and helped steer campaigns aimed at improving the visitor experience through training for frontline hospitality stakeholders.

In February 2016 he was appointed CEO of NITI Aayog, the government’s policy think tank, and he led the institution for six years before stepping down on 30 June 2022. Following his NITI Aayog tenure, in July 2022 he was appointed India’s Sherpa to the G20. During the G20 process he worked on drafting the New Delhi Declaration and described the effort as involving protracted negotiations and multiple drafts to reach consensus on geopolitical paragraphs.

Public profile

Kant has been recognized with several awards during his career, including honors such as Bloomberg TV Personality of the Year, The Economic Times Policy Change Agent of the Year, and an NDTV Administrator of the Year award. He has spoken at public forums including a TED talk in New Delhi and is the author of a book on national branding titled "Branding India – An Incredible Story."

He has also served on international platforms: he is listed as a member of the Steering Board for the World Economic Forum’s initiative on shaping future production systems.

Personal life

Amitabh Kant is married to Ranjeeta Kant, who is identified as a singer. His parents are Rajni Kant and Sita Kant, and he has a brother named Ravi Kant. He has two daughters, Vedika Kant, noted as a risk analyst, and Vanshica Kant. Kant lists hobbies that include chess, reading, writing, music and travel; he is known to have a rapport with chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.

Latest updates

After leaving the NITI Aayog in mid‑2022, Kant took on the role of India’s G20 Sherpa. In 2023 he was part of the team that prepared the draft of the New Delhi Declaration, a document that was adopted by G20 members by consensus on the opening day of the summit. Kant has publicly described the drafting process as requiring intensive negotiations and multiple revisions to accommodate geopolitical sensitivities.
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Recent Work

CEO, NITI Aayog

Served as CEO of the government think tank until 30 June 2022 after a six‑year tenure.

2016–2022
India G20 Sherpa

Appointed Sherpa for India’s G20 in July 2022 and involved in drafting the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 2023 summit.

2022–2023
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined the Indian Administrative Service, 1980 batch (Kerala cadre).
  2. Served as Sub Collector of Thalassery and District Collector of Kozhikode in Kerala.
  3. Held state-level posts including Managing Director of Matsyafed and Secretary of Tourism, Kerala.
  4. Served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and as CMD/CEO of DMICDC.
  5. Appointed Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
  6. Served as CEO of NITI Aayog from 2016 to 2022.
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Amitabh Kant born?

1 March 1956

What is Amitabh Kant known for?

Civil Servant

What is Amitabh Kant’s marital status?

Married

Who is Amitabh Kant married to?

Ranjeeta Kant