5 Civil Servants to Watch Out For, 2018: At No 3 is an incredible bureaucrat — Amitabh Kant

MANY of his colleagues call him a “rockstar bureaucrat”; some say, “hero”. Amitabh Kant, the bureaucrat behind the creation of some of India’s memorable campaigns — Incredible India, Make-in-India etc. — continues to occupy the centerstage in the corridors of power, wielding immense influence in the affairs of the Central government. Yes, by the end of the next month, Kant’s two-year-term as the CEO of the government think-tank, NITI Aayog, will come to an end. But will it make it any difference? Will the government discontinue him? In BoI’s list of “5 Civil Servants to Watch Out For, 2018”, Amitabh Kant is No 3. The other two bureaucrats who BoI had already profiled were…

Will India have tourist police with uniforms sporting incredible India logo?

Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management (IITTM) has recommended the introduction of the Tourist Police with uniforms sporting Incredible India logo for the safety and security of the tourists. The recommendation was made in its study titled “Functioning of Tourist Police in States/UTs and Documentation of Best Practices”. It was also recommended that…

Thoughts behind Incredible India campaign; Will Amitabh Kant succeed creating brand NITI?

Kant with PM Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (file photo)

LAST week, DIPP secretary Amitabh Kant was appointed as full-time CEO of NITI Aayog, the body that had replaced Nehruvian institution, the Planning Commission. Kant, known for marketing and branding skills, has possibly been brought into the NITI for giving it a major makeover. In his book, “Branding India: An Incredible Story” Kant spelt out how he had created Incredible India campaign amid many challenges. Maybe, Incredible India, and then Make in India will inspire him in NITI too. Here are some of his thoughts as he created the “Incredible India” brand:

Why a lion as a symbol in GoI campaign—Make in India? PM Modi explains at Hannover Fair

WHEN Make in India campaign, currently the most talked about government campaigns, was launched last year to woo companies to manufacturing, various ideas reportedly cropped up before creating the campaign symbol. Should it be a tiger or a lion? And finally, when a walking lion was chosen to depict the Make in India campaign, the gossip was that it was invariably from Gujarat's Gir forest, the only habitat of lions in India. For the record, Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat for about 13 years before becoming the Indian prime minister. On Monday, none of than PM himself explained at Germany’s Hannover Messe, one of the biggest industrial fairs in the globe, why his government chose a lion to depict the Make in India campaign. He said…

7 Incredible Cities in DMIC: Amitabh Kant seals first Japanese deal, faces challenges

Will Kant succeed in repeating his Incredible stories?

Amitabh Kant, a 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS, is more a CEO than a typical additional secretary in a sarkari department. He is a CEO because he sets targets, draws time-line, nurtures a ‘can do’ temperament, manages his men from a stylish, corner room office and occasionally plays golf to keep the tempo on.

The architect of India’s two highly successful tourism campaigns, “God’s Own Country” and “Incredible India”, Kant now faces a bigger challenge: How to build seven brand new cities across 1483-km long industrial corridor between Delhi and Mumbai. After spending two years in office as the CEO of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) and changing many a ground rule, Kant has finally sealed the first deal. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda recently announced that Japan would invest $4.5 billion in this unique project that could refine India’s infrastructure with the smart deployment of advanced technology and green growth. What’s more, Japanese government would partner the project with a direct 26 percent participation in equity.

It seems the basic branding exercise of DMIC is over. While commenting on Kant’s book on brands, ad guru Piyush Pandey recently said: “Nothing builds brands better than passion. Amitabh Kant’s passion for both Brand India and Kerala is bubbling in every line and between the lines. The book proves that brands don’t just need a face, they also need a body, arms, legs and a very big heart.”

Can Kant repeat his Incredible story in DMIC? Kant has not lost his passion as yet, but DMIC is lot more complex. The global downturn has entered into a phase of recession and India’s much hyped-up growth story could turn out to be flawed, at least temporarily. After all, the project would need about $90 billion, and more. Also, the corridor spans over six states including Mayawati’s Uttar Pradesh and Narendra Modi’s Gujarat in addition to BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Congress-ruled Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra (with NCP). And land acquisition is becoming a trickier subject in each passing day.

But don’t forget Kant has had many successful innings as heads of large organizations. Back in late 1980s, Kant was MD of Kerala’s Fisheries Federation. He was then the MD of Malabar International Airport Development Society which was in fact the first Indian airport structured on the concept of user’s fee. A loan of Rs 150 crore which was mobilized to develop Calicut airport into an international airport was actually returned from the user’s fee. And the exercise was done much before Delhi and Mumbai understood such a model and used it in public private partnership projects. Finally, India Tourism Development Corporation’s turnaround saga from a Rs 40 crore loss-making enterprise to a profit of Rs108 crore was scripted by Kant as its chairman between 2002 and 2005.

Kant’s past success stories have the potential to make him nervous now.

Incredible! Amitabh Kant is front-runner for DMICDC's CEO; may handle USD 90 billion project

FORMER tourism joint secretary and 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS Amitabh Kant is now the front-runner for heading Delhi Mumbai industrial corridor development corporation (DMICDC) which is the nodal body to execute USD 90 billion India-Japan friendship project, sources close to the development told babu blogger. Mr Kant, who is best known for his six-year-old (2001-2007) stint as joint secretary of tourism ministry, is credited with championing the ‘Incredible India’ campaign (See photograph above). Last month, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata released a book – “Branding India-An Incredible Journey”-- authored by Mr Kant who is now principal secretary and special commissioner (industries) of Government of Kerala. Significantly, the government short-listed a number of infrastructure honchos for the post of chief executive of DMICDC last year, and interviews were conducted in September 2008. But Mr Kant was nowhere in the picture when a search committee including cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, DIPP secretary Ajay Shankar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) MD E Sreedharan, screened a few possible names for the post. The main contenders then included senior director of ICICI Venture and former IAS Shailesh Pathak, L&T infrastructure finance’s CEO Suneet Maheshwari, Gammon India’s MD Parvez Umrigar, I D International’s Hong Kong-based director Alok Jain, Ascendas Property Management Services India’s head, IT-SEZ, Rajeev Chadha, former IAS and currently CEO of Tata Realty and Infrastructure Sanjay G Ubale, KEC International’s CEO Ramesh Chandak and Petronet MHB’s MD S B Pandey. But a number of them including Mr Pathak and Mr Ubale were not so keen in taking up the job then. In fact, former industry secretary Ajay Dua was instrumental in shaping the concept of DMICDC, and it was widely believed that Mr Dua would be appointed as its chief executive post retirement. But the government decided to put an age-cap making it impossible for any retired person to contest for the post. It now remains to be seen whether Mr Kant, an officer from Kerala, clicks in power corridors of Delhi when Kerala is the ultimate flavour of the season in Raisina Hill!