Ashok Lahiri has been named the next Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, taking over from Suman Bery, who is set to retire later this month. Lahiri brings a distinctive blend of experience spanning government, international institutions, the private sector, and electoral politics. He is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly in West Bengal.

An alumnus of Presidency College and a PhD graduate from the Delhi School of Economics, Lahiri’s early work stood out in an unconventional area for a macroeconomist—election studies. During the 1980s, he collaborated with Prannoy Roy and David Butler on efforts to systematically analyse Indian electoral data. Their work, including India Decides, helped transform political analysis from anecdotal observations into data-driven insights.

He later served as a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund and worked as a consultant for the World Bank, focusing on macroeconomic stability and structural reforms. Between 1998 and 2002, he was Director of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. Lahiri gained national recognition in 2002 when he was appointed Chief Economic Adviser under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His reputation for neutrality was underscored when the incoming government led by Manmohan Singh retained him in 2004 for an additional term—an uncommon instance of bipartisan confidence.

He also contributed to the implementation framework of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act as part of the Kelkar Task Force. Later, he served as Executive Director at the Asian Development Bank in Manila. In 2015, he became the non-executive chairman of Bandhan Bank, playing a key role in governance during its transition into a universal bank. He stepped down in 2017 to join the 15th Finance Commission, where he helped shape the revenue-sharing formula between the Centre and states. After decades in policy-making, Lahiri entered active politics in West Bengal. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he contested from Balurghat on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket and won, marking a rare transition of a senior economist into electoral success later in life.

In his 2023 book India in Search of Glory, Lahiri argues that shortcomings in basic public service delivery stem from insufficient investment in state capacity. With his strong emphasis on fiscal discipline and firsthand political experience, his leadership at NITI Aayog will be closely watched, particularly in redefining its role as a mediator between the Centre and the states.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.