Centre appoints Anurag Jain as NITI Aayog CEO

New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): The Centre on Wednesday appointed senior IAS officer Anurag Jain as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog.
The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), according to an official order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Anurag Jain, IAS (MP:89) as Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog with effect from the date of his assumption of charge of the post, till his approved tenure of extension in service and thereafter, for an overall period of two years or until further orders, whichever is earlier, on the same terms and conditions as were applicable to his predecessor," the order read.
Jain is a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and has held several key positions in the Centre and the state government during his administrative career.
Earlier in April, the Centre appointed Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri as the Vice Chairperson of the NITI Aayog. Lahiri replaced Suman K Bery.
Along with him, Rajiv Gauba, Professor KV Raju, Professor Gobardhan Das, Dr M Srinivas and Professor Abhay Karandikar were also appointed as full-time members of the Aayog.
Meanwhile, Gujarat has secured the top position among India's major States in NITI Aayog's first-ever Investment Friendliness Index 2026, reaffirming its standing as the country's leading investment destination.
According to a release dated July 17, the State achieved the highest score of 56.6, ahead of Maharashtra (53.7) and Tamil Nadu (53.3), in an assessment of 17 major States.
The Investment Friendliness Index evaluates States across 84 indicators under eight key pillars, covering every stage of the investment lifecycle from policy and governance to infrastructure, business facilitation and fiscal management.
The report underscores that while national-level reforms provide the overarching policy direction for economic growth, State Governments play a pivotal role in shaping the investment climate through robust infrastructure, efficient regulatory frameworks, effective institutions, and predictable policy regimes. Strengthening these State-level investment ecosystems is essential for enhancing India's competitiveness, attracting greater domestic and foreign investment, and sustaining high economic growth.
The Investment Friendliness Index seeks to foster competitive and cooperative federalism by encouraging States and Union Territories to adopt best practices and undertake continuous reforms in pursuit of the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Earlier on June 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.
This year's theme was Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat@2047. It was attended by Chief Ministers, Lt. Governors and Administrators representing 28 States and 5 UTs. This was the first time that Chief Ministers of all 28 States participated in the Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog. (ANI)