Rajiv Kumar (economist)

Rajiv Kumar is an Indian economist. He is currently Chairman of Pahle India Foundation, a non-profit think-tank. He served as the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, the apex policy think tank of the Government of India, from August 2017 to April 2022, holding the rank of a Cabinet Minister.

Prior to his role at NITI Aayog, Dr. Kumar was Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He has also held positions as the Director General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Chief Economist of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He has served as an economic advisor to the Government of India and has worked with multilateral institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Industries.

Kumar's research and writing focus primarily on Indian economic reforms, international economics, security, and state capacity. He holds a D.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University and a Ph.D. from Lucknow University. He is a prolific writer and commentator on Indian economic policy and has authored several books. His expertise lies in macroeconomic policy, public finance, and international trade.