Heinz Alum Named India's Minister of Environment

Jun 17, 2009

Jairam Ramesh, a 1977 graduate of Heinz College's Public Policy and Management program, was recently named head of India's Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Ramesh formerly served as Minister of State for Commerce and Industry as well as the Minister of State for Power.

Ramesh was advisor to the prime minister in 1991 and to the finance minister from 1996-98. He has served in the Planning Commission, Ministry of Industry and other economic departments of India's Central Government. He has been entrusted with numerous special assignments such as the reorganization of India’s international trade agencies and the analysis of India's energy policies. In 2001, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay presented him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Ramesh has authored a number of key government reports in area as diverse as energy, technology, capital goods, industrial policy and telecom. He has been a founding member of the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad promoted by the Wharton School, London Business School, and Kellogg School of Management and is a member of the International Council of the New York-based Asia Society. His column on economics and public policy called Kautilya in The Times of India is very popular. He is also the author of the book Making Sense of Chindia, a book that describes the forces of globalisation and liberalization.

Ramesh has also anchored a number of popular television programs on business and the economy, including Business Breakfast and Crossfire.

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