Former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri is set to be appointed as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, succeeding Suman Bery, according to sources.
Alongside, Gobardhan Das, Director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, is expected to be inducted as a member of the government’s premier policy think tank.
The appointments are understood to be part of a broader restructuring aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and enhancing policy expertise within NITI Aayog.
Lahiri brings extensive experience in economic policymaking and academia. Over the course of his career, he has served in key roles at the Ministry of Finance, and has been associated with global institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He has also led the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy and served as Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, besides contributing as a member of the 15th Finance Commission.
An academic by training, Lahiri has taught at the Delhi School of Economics and is also known for his work in election studies, including co-authoring India Decides, a study mapping electoral trends over several decades.
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Gobardhan Das, an accomplished academic, has previously been associated with Jawaharlal Nehru University and currently leads IISER Bhopal. His inclusion is expected to further strengthen the research and academic depth of the institution.
NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s apex public policy think tank, plays a key role in driving strategic and long-term policy initiatives, fostering cooperative federalism, and supporting evidence-based decision-making across sectors.