Economist Neelkanth Mishra has been appointed as India’s Executive Director at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, for a term of three years.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved his appointment on Thursday. He will replace Parameswaran Iyer, a retired 1981-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, who has been serving in the role since February 2023.
Neelkanth Mishra is one of India’s most well-known economists and market experts. He is currently the Chief Economist at Axis Bank. He also serves as the Head of Global Research and Whole-Time Director at Axis Capital.
Before joining the Axis Group in 2023, Mishra worked at Credit Suisse for nearly 20 years. During his time there, he held several senior positions, including Managing Director, India Strategist, and Co-Head of Equity Strategy for the Asia-Pacific region.
His work has covered areas such as economics, financial markets, public policy, and investment strategy. Mishra graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering and was awarded a gold medal for academic excellence.
Apart from his corporate responsibilities, Mishra has also worked closely with several government bodies.
He is a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), which advises the government on economic and related matters.
He also serves as the part-time Chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the organization responsible for Aadhaar. In addition, he is a part-time member of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Over the years, Mishra has contributed to several important government committees and policy initiatives. These include the 15th Finance Commission, the 16th Finance Commission, the India Semiconductor Mission, the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) Committee related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee.
With his strong experience in economics, policy, and financial markets, Mishra is expected to play an important role in representing India at the World Bank.
