NEW DELHI: India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant Monday stepped down from his role, ending a 45-year stint in the country’s bureaucracy where he handled crucial assignments and helped design several vital policies.Kant, a retired 1980-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, was appointed G20 Sherpa in 2022 and tasked with steering the meeting of developed and emerging countries. A sherpa works as the PM’s envoy for the forum and does heavy lifting on behalf of the country’s leader.“After 45 years of dedicated service, I have decided to embrace new opportunities & begin a new chapter,” Kant said in a social media post, thanking PM Modi for the trust he placed in him to drive developmental initiatives that shaped the country’s growth trajectory.“Leading India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 was a significant milestone in my career. Despite complex global challenges, we achieved a unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders Declaration, and refocused attention on key developmental issues,” Kant, who is known for his problem-solving abilities, said. Kant, an alumnus of St Stephen’s College and JNU, has served as CEO of policy think tank Niti Aayog, where he worked on crucial initiatives such as the aspirational districts programmes aimed at improving conditions in some of the country’s most backwards districts.He began his career in Kerala and helped design the “God’s Own Country” campaign, which helped promote tourism significantly. “Later in the ministry of tourism, we initiated the ‘Incredible India’ campaign – born from the belief that travel and tourism has the best multiplier impact on jobs and growth,” said Kant.