New Delhi, April 25: Newly appointed Niti Aayog’s Vice Chairman, Dr. Ashok Lahiri, on Saturday met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital. This meeting took place a day after assuming charge, marking his first official engagement in the role. Following the meeting, Lahiri, who is also a BJP MLA from West Bengal and a renowned economist, shared the details on social media platform X.

"Today, I met with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi," he wrote on X. Lahiri had succeeded Suman Bery, who has been serving in the role since May 2022. Adding to the Bengal angle, Gobardhan Das, a prominent immunologist and academic, is also set to join NITI Aayog as a member. PM Narendra Modi Expected To Visit Australia in July 2026 as Part of Tri-Nation Regional Tour.

PM Modi Meets NITI Aayog’s Vice Chairman Ashok Lahiri

Das, who contested the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections from Purbasthali Uttar on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket but lost, has previously served as Director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, and was a faculty member at Jawaharlal Nehru University. His inclusion alongside Lahiri signals a notable representation of Bengalis in the country’s top policy-making body. Pahalgam Terror Attack Anniversary: PM Narendra Modi Pays Tribute to 26 Civilians, Says India ‘United in Grief and Resolve’.

Lahiri, who represents Balurghat in the current Bengal Assembly but is not contesting the ongoing elections, brings with him a distinguished career in economics. He served as the 12th Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India and has held positions at the Delhi School of Economics, the Asian Development Bank, Bandhan Bank, and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.

His global experience includes stints with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. An alumnus of Presidency University, Kolkata, Lahiri is widely respected for his academic and policy contributions. With a career spanning over four decades, he is regarded as one of India’s senior economists.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party, the elevation of two Bengalis to NITI Aayog could be projected as recognition of Bengal’s intellectual and policy leadership, while also serving as a counter-narrative to the All India Trinamool Congress’s dominance in the state.

TruLY Score by LatestLY
Rating:5

TruLY Score 5 – Trustworthy | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 5 on LatestLY. It is verified through official sources (Official X Account of Narendra Modi). The information is thoroughly cross-checked and confirmed. You can confidently share this article with your friends and family, knowing it is trustworthy and reliable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2026 03:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).