Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia is a globally respected economist, policy strategist, and civil servant, renowned for architecting key economic reforms that profoundly shaped modern India. As the former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India (2004–2014), a role carrying the rank of a Cabinet Minister, he designed and implemented the Eleventh and Twelfth Five-Year Plans, leading the country through a transformative decade of high and inclusive growth.
His expertise is grounded in decades of high-level service both internationally and domestically. An Oxford-trained Rhodes Scholar, he began his career at the World Bank, where at 28 he became the youngest Division Chief. He held pivotal roles in the Indian government, including Finance Secretary, Commerce Secretary, and Special Secretary to the Prime Minister. Internationally, he served as the first Director of the Independent Evaluation Office at the IMF, where he supervised studies critical of the Fund's functioning.
Awarded the Padma Vibhushan (India's second-highest civilian honor) in 2011, Ahluwalia played a central role in driving reforms across infrastructure, trade, health, education, and fiscal policy. He was also instrumental in shaping India’s global economic engagement, particularly with the IMF, G20, and climate finance forums. This deep, strategic exposure to global and domestic policy challenges informs his authoritative perspective.
As an influential speaker, author, and Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, his book Backstage: The Story Behind India’s High Growth Years offers a blend of personal reflections and national economic history, covering issues of contemporary significance like education, rural development, and energy. His presentations provide audiences with a strategic blueprint for achieving faster, more inclusive, and sustainable economic growth.
