A highly regarded economist, Rajiv Kumar served as Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog— the Government of India’s premier policy think tank—from 2017 to 2022. He has held senior positions at FICCI, ICRIER, CII, and the Asian Development Bank. Dr Kumar holds a PhD in economics from Lucknow University and a DPhil from Oxford University. He has authored several books and papers on macroeconomics, trade, industry and strategic foreign policy. In 2023, Dr Kumar was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star by the Government of Japan for strengthening India-Japan economic ties.