The government has overhauled the top deck of the NITI Aayog, appointing Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former chief economic adviser Ashok Kumar Lahiri as vice-chairman. Other four new members include economist KV Raju, AIIMS director M Srinivas, scientist Gobardhan Das and Abhay Karandikar, secretary, department of science and technology. Former cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, who joined the think tank last year, has been retained.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday wished a productive and impactful tenure to Lahiri and the new full-time members. “The government has reconstituted the NITI Aayog. My best wishes to Shri Ashok Kumar Lahiri Ji on becoming the Vice Chairman. Wishing all of them a productive and impactful tenure ahead,” Modi posted on X.

The Prime Minister said the NITI Aayog has emerged as a vital pillar in India’s policy-making architecture, fostering cooperative federalism, furthering reforms and boosting ‘ease of living’. “It serves as a dynamic platform for innovation and long-term strategic thinking across sectors,” he said. The PM is the chairman of the Niti Aayog. Lahiri also called on Prime Minister Modi on Saturday following his appointment.

The new members will replace Ramesh Chand (10 years and 7 months in NITI), Vijay Kumar Saraswat (11 years and 3 months), Vinod K Paul (eight years and 8 months) and Arvind Virmani (three years and 5 months).

Lahiri, a familiar figure in Delhi’s economic policy circles, has held several key roles, including as the 12th chief economic adviser. He has served on the 15th Finance Commission, taught at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE), and led Bandhan Bank and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). He succeeds Suman Bery, who was at the helm for nearly four years.

Incoming member M Srinivas has been serving as director of AIIMS Delhi since September 2022 and has over three decades of experience in academia, research and administration. A professor of pediatric surgery since 2011, he has authored around 200 papers and trained thousands of students.

KV Raju is a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and an economic adviser to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. A Professor Emeritus at Chanakya University, he has held global research roles and authored 26 books and over 100 journal articles.

Gobardhan Das is the director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal. Earlier, he served as professor and chair at the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru University. His work focuses on molecular medicine, research leadership and advancing scientific education in India.

Abhay Karandikar, a distinguished educator and engineer, served as secretary in the department of science and technology, contributing to science policy, research innovation and technology-led development in India.