Economist Rajiv Kumar on Friday took over as the vice chairman of the government policy think-tank Niti Aayog, PTI reported. Kumar replaced Arvind Panagariya, whose last day was on Thursday. Panagariya had said he was returning to his job as a professor at the Columbia University in the United States.

Kumar was earlier a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. He has also served as the secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and as a member of the National Security Advisory Board from 2006 to 2008.

Kumar has also served as the chief economist at the Confederation of Indian Industries, and held senior positions at the Asian Development Bank, the ministry of industries, and the finance ministry. He is a DPhil in economics from Oxford University, and a PhD from Lucknow University.