Amitabh Kant, Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, was today appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Niti Aayog.

He will take over the new job after his retirement, next month-end.

The competent authority has approved the appointment of Kant, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, as CEO of Niti Aayog, after his superannuation in February-end, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.

"The terms and conditions of his appointment as CEO, Niti Aayog will be conveyed in due course," it said.

59-year-old Kant has been appointed in place of former IAS officer Sindhushree Khullar, who was appointed as the first CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (Niti) Aayog, a body that has replaced Planning Commission, for a fixed one-year term beginning January 1, last year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is Chairman of Niti Aayog.