Anurag Jain takes helm at NITI Aayog as new CEO. Who is he?

NITI Aayog today formally welcomed senior bureaucrat Anurag Jain as its new Chief Executive Officer, placing a seasoned administrative hand at the wheel of the central government’s premier policy think tank.

Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, assumes the top post with nearly four decades of expertise spanning public administration, economic strategy, and large-scale governance.

His official induction was formally announced by NITI Aayog on X (formally twitter), "NITIAayog welcomes Anurag Jain as the new Chief Executive Officer."

The appointment, cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) based on an order from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), mandates a tenure of two years or until further orders, whichever comes earlier. Jain succeeds his predecessor under the standard terms and conditions associated with the post.

Jain’s administrative record includes high-profile roles across both state and central tiers of government. Most recently, he served as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh. Prior to his tenure in the state, he held key secretarial portfolios at the Centre, including leading the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as well as the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

His broad footprint across industrial growth, infrastructure development, and economic policy is expected to significantly bolster NITI Aayog's strategic mandate.

In his new role as CEO, Jain will steer critical policy framework development, monitor national development initiatives, and foster closer federal coordination between the Centre and state governments.