Former NITI Aayog chief Amitabh Kant was appointed as an independent director of software services company HCLTech on Monday.

After serving the Indian government in various capacities for 45 years, Kant, a 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre, had retired from service in June. He last served as India's G20 Sherpa, a post to which he was appointed in July 2022.

During his years of service, Kant drove some of the government's key initiatives, including the Ease of Doing Business, Make in India, and Startup India. He also helped the country climb 79 places in the World Bank rankings.

“HCLTech is among the finest corporate institutions in India. I am pleased to be part of its growth journey and look forward to working with the Board,” Kant said in a media release.

The development followed recommendations by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, per a statutory filing by the company.

The appointment, effective September 8, is for a term of five years.

This year, the Economic Times Startup Awards jury, comprising entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders, was chaired by Kant.

On his appointment, HCLTech chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra said, “We are delighted to have Amitabh Kant join the Board. His rich experience in building public sector institutions and his contributions to India’s reforms will provide immense insights to help shape HCLTech’s growth strategy.”