Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri
Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri has been appointed as the Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog in April 2026, replacing Suman K. Bery. The government has also appointed Rajiv Gauba, K. V. Raju, Gobardhan Das, M. Srinivas, and Abhay Karandikar as full-time Members of the Aayog.
NITI Aayog is the Government of India’s premier policy think tank, established in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission.
• It functions as a knowledge hub, advisory body, and platform for cooperative federalism, supported by institutions like
o Development Monitoring and Evaluation Organisation
o Atal Innovation Mission
o National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development
Composition
• Chairperson: Prime Minister of India
• Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all States + UTs with legislatures + Lt. Governors of other UTs
• Regional Councils: Temporary bodies for inter-state issues
• Special Invitees: Domain experts nominated by PM
Full-time Structure
• Vice-Chairperson : appointed by the Prime Minister. H enjoys the rank of a Cabinet Minister.
• Full-time Members : They enjoy the rank of a Minister of State.
• Part-time Members : from leading academic and other relevant institutions in an ex-officio capacity. Part-time members would be on a rotation.
• Ex-officio Members : Maximum of 4 members of the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank of Secretary to the Government India
Objectives
• Promote cooperative federalism and shared national development vision
• Formulate long-term strategic policies and programmes
• Ensure inclusive development (focus on vulnerable sections)
• Strengthen grassroots planning (village to national level)
• Act as a knowledge, innovation, and research hub
• Facilitate inter-sectoral coordination and policy convergence
• Promote good governance, best practices, and capacity building
• Undertake monitoring and evaluation of government programmes
• Integrate national security concerns into economic strategy
Functional Areas
1. Policy & Programme Framework
2. Cooperative Federalism
3. Monitoring & Evaluation
4. Think Tank & Innovation Hub
Key Initiatives
• NITI Frontier Tech Hub: Focus on AI, quantum tech, biotech for future readiness
• Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment): Promotes sustainable lifestyles and climate action
• National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP): Open access to government datasets
• Shoonya Campaign: Promotes electric mobility in ride-hailing and delivery sectors
• E-Amrit Portal: Awareness platform for electric vehicles and clean mobility