Dr Rajiv Kumar

Dr. Rajiv Kumar is a well known Indian economist, the author of several books on the Indian economy and India's national security and a widely read columnist. He has had a diverse and wide ranging experience during his professional career of more than thirty years. Most recently, he was the Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) one of India's three apex Chambers until October 2012. Prior to FICCI, (May 2006 to August 2010) he was the Director & Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), one of India’s best recognized independent economic policy think tanks. He was also the Chief Economist of the Confederation of India Industries (CII) during 2004-2006.

He started his career (1982-1987) as a Research Fellow at ICRIER. During 1987-1989, Dr Kumar was a Professor at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade; subsequently, he worked for the Government of India from 1989 to 1995, first in the Bureau of Industrial Costs and Prices, Ministry of Industry and then as Economic Adviser in the Department of Economic Affairs Ministry of Finance. His stint in the DEA, 1991-1995, saw intense reform activity in the country's history. Dr. Kumar worked for 10 years in the Asian Development Bank, in Manila (1995-2005) both as a country economist and in ADB's research department.

He is presently a member of the International Board of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre (KAPSARC), Riyadh. He is in his second three year term (2012-15) as a non-executive Director on the Central Board of the State Bank of India, India's largest commercial Bank and also serves as an independent director on the Board of Directors of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, a deemed university in Pune, India. He is also a Member of the Murdoch Commission, established by the Vice Chancellor of the Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, that is mandated to recommend measures for Australia's deeper integration with Asian economies.

Dr Kumar was a member of Government of India's National Security Advisory Board for 2006-2008, a think tank attached to the National Security Council. He was a member of the Warwick Commission on global financial crisis, set up in 2009 by the Vice Chancellor of the Warwick University, England.

He has a D.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University and a Ph.D from Lucknow University. He is one of India's leading columnist, writing in major business dailies. His views on matters relating to the economy and national security are widely sought.