'Was given tourism as punishment posting': Amitabh Kant on how he popularised Kerala as God's Own Country

Amitabh Kant, former CEO of Niti Aayog, is credited with turning Kerala into a global tourism hub. In a recent podcast conversation with HT, Kant shared the backstory behind one of India's most successful tourism campaigns: the transformation of Kerala into "God's Own Country."

Kant, who was once posted as Secretary of Tourism in Kerala, revealed that he was transferred to the tourism department as a punishment posting. "I had a problem with the Communist government in Kerala at one point of time," he recalled. "When I was a young officer and I was without a posting for about 10 months, that was as a consequence of removing about 450 encroachments when I was district collector in Calicut district, now known as Kozhikode. I had widened about 26 roads. Later, I suffered because the communist government got after me. At the end of it, they posted me as Secretary of Tourism as a punishment posting. Nobody wanted to go as Secretary of Tourism. Nobody had heard of Kerala as a tourism destination."

Rather than see it as a setback, Kant seized the opportunity to radically reshape Kerala's tourism sector. He initiated a new approach that emphasised Kerala's unique offerings. "We promoted and marketed it in partnership with the private sector but we differentiated it from the rest of the world by creating new products," he explained. "The backwaters of Kerala, the Ayurveda, the traditional art forms of Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, which we revived, the traditional architecture of Kerala - the traditional martial art of Kerala, Kalaripayattu - we revived all that, and Kerala became unique."

This strategic focus on Kerala's rich cultural heritage and natural beauty paid off. According to Kant, the state's tourism soared. "We took it up from a $20 to a $500 destination because of the new products and people loved it," he said. "That’s how tourism grew in a very big way." Through this initiative, Kerala became a premier global tourist destination.

Kant, an IAS officer of the 1980 Kerala cadre, also spoke about his varied experiences working with different political regimes. Reflecting on his time working with the Communist government in Kerala, the Congress-led UPA government, and then the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he noted, "I've done what I've always thought is right. Sometimes you run into a wrong minister. So it's part of life. I've had this in Kerala. I've faced this during the UPA regime in Delhi. But I've had very good ministers to work with and I've had a very good prime minister to work with in Mr Modi. He's always given me the freedom and flexibility to execute things based on his vision."

Kant is the author of Branding India - An Incredible Story and a key driver behind initiatives like 'Make in India', 'Startup India', 'Incredible India', and 'God's Own Country'. These campaigns helped position India and Kerala as global manufacturing and tourism hubs, winning several international awards. He also conceptualised the 'Atithi Devo Bhavah' campaign, training stakeholders in tourism development, and led the UNDP's Rural Tourism Project, which spread tourism to Indian villages focused on handicrafts, handloom, and culture.