Amitabh Kant, secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion, has been appointed the chief executive officer (CEO) of the NITI Aayog. He will take over the job after his retirement from service in February end. The competent authority has approved the appointment after Kant’s superannuation. The terms and conditions of his appointment will be conveyed in due course,” an order issued by the department of personnel and training said on January 8.

Amitabh Kant is known to be the brain behind two key campaigns of Narendra Modi government – Make in India and the ease of doing business. Kant has been appointed in place of former IAS officer Sindhushree Khullar, who was appointed as the first CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (Niti) Aayog, a body that has replaced Planning Commission, for a fixed one-year term beginning January 1, last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is Chairman of Niti Aayog.