upGrad appoints Amitabh Kant to Board as Independent Non-Executive Director

upGrad has announced the appointment of Amitabh Kant - former G20 Sherpa of India, former CEO of NITI Aayog, and one of the country’s most respected reformers, to its Board of Directors as Independent Non-Executive Director.

His appointment comes as upGrad enters its next phase of growth & impact, focusing on the National Agenda of Skilling and preparing the workforce across all ‘carriers of tomorrow’, and making them job ready as well as unleashing the raw energy to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.

Amitabh Kant, a veteran member of the Indian Administrative Service (Kerala Cadre, 1980 batch), has been at the forefront of some of India’s most transformative national missions, including Make in India, Startup India, Incredible India, and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. As India’s G20 Sherpa during its Presidency, he played a pivotal international role in forging global consensus across critical economic and developmental priorities. Prior to that, as CEO of NITI Aayog, he led initiatives in digital governance, sustainability, startup innovation, and public–private partnerships that shaped India’s reform agenda.

Commenting on the appointment, Amitabh Kant shared: “I believe India needs new-age skilling, given our demographic advantage. We need two things; how to upskill our people quickly and how to collaborate with good companies - both of which upGrad is doing very well. They are increasing their association with private and public universities, as well as companies, to create a complete pipeline of talent for job readiness and entrepreneurship. This is what the government has been advocating, and I am glad to join the board of upGrad to further support them in this endeavour.”

Ronnie Screwvala, Co-founder & Chairperson, upGrad, added, “We are building upGrad with the same discipline and long-term mindset that India’s new growth story demands. Sustainable momentum, strong governance, and meaningful learner outcomes - not hyperbole - are what drive us. Amitabh has spent his career shaping some of India’s biggest transformational missions, and that perspective is invaluable as we deepen our global footprint and widen our impact. His independent rigor and strategic clarity are qualities we greatly value, and his presence signals that we are on the right track, building a profitable, globally relevant learning engine from India with deep roots and big ambition.”