DBT Bureau
Pune, 10 Sep 2025
HCLTech said the appointment of Amitabh Kant as an Independent Director with effect from September 8, 2025.
Amitabh Kant is a governance reformer and a public policy change agent and was most recently India’s G20 Sherpa. His leadership as Sherpa during India’s G20 Presidency (2022-2023) culminated in the unanimous adoption of the historic New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, which galvanized global consensus around pressing issues, including driving global growth, promulgating India’s model of digital public infrastructure, and advocating ambitious reforms in climate finance, geopolitics, and technology.
During his illustrious career, he has held prominent positions in the Government of India including the CEO of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog). In these 6+ years, Mr. Kant has driven transformative policies and initiatives that have reshaped India’s development trajectory—a highlight of which is the Aspirational Districts Program, a groundbreaking effort to uplift India’s most underdeveloped districts through strategic competition, focused governance, and targeted interventions.
Amitabh Kant also spearheaded the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in India and was the CEO of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) and Secretary, Tourism Government of Kerala. During his tenure in Kerala, Mr. Kant conceptualized the ‘God’s Own Country’ campaign, reviving Kerala’s local culture and cuisine, which significantly boosted tourism and elevated the state’s profile on the global tourism map. This initiative laid the foundation for the ‘Incredible India’ campaign, which he later spearheaded during his tenure as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. He has been a driving force behind reforms and initiatives such as Startup India, Make in India, Incredible India, Ease of Doing Business reforms, and the Production Linked Incentive Schemes (PLI).
“We are delighted to have Amitabh Kant join the Board. His rich experience in building public sector institutions and contribution to India’s reforms will offer immense insights towards shaping HCLTech’s growth strategy,” said Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCLTech.
“Amitabh Kant joins us at a pivotal moment in our journey as well as within the industry. His thought leadership and long-term thinking will be invaluable in shaping our strategy. Amitabh shares our values and our ambition, and I look forward to his counsel as we execute our strategic plans”, said C. Vijayakumar, CEO & Managing Director, HCLTech.
“HCLTech is among the finest corporate institutions in India. I am pleased to be part of its growth journey and look forward to working with the Board,” said Amitabh Kant.
Amitabh Kant is a recipient of the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star (2023), conferred by the Government of Japan, the Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship, conferred by the Prime Minister of New Zealand and is a Chevening Scholar and recipient of One Globe Award for leadership in Transforming Governance for the 21st Century. He has authored six books and an extensive body of articles on critical policy issues impacting India and the global community.
