Former NITI Aayog CEO to be new Sherpa of G-20

New Delhi: Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will be the new Sherpa of G-20, replacing Union Minister Piyush Goyal as full-time sherpa required for India's presidency, sources said on Thursday. India assumes the G-20 presidency later this year. It will hold the presidency of the G-20 from December 1 to November 30, 2023.

India will host the G-20 summit next year. "With the G-20 presidency coming to India this year, the Sherpa would need to devote a lot of time to numerous meetings that will be held in different parts of the country. "Union Minister Goyal holds the charge of multiple portfolios in the Modi cabinet which consumes a lot of his time," a source said.

In addition, the minister is also tasked with other pressing duties like Leader of Rajya Sabha, the source added. Many initiatives led by the commerce minister such as Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the UK and EU would require his 100 per cent attention as these FTAs involve huge markets and will give an enormous boost to labour-intensive industries, which will create lakhs of jobs.

Kant was NITI Aayog CEO for almost six years and completed his extended term last month. Prior to that, the Kerala-cadre IAS officer was secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).