Former Niti Aayog V-C Rajiv Kumar joins advisory board of India Sotheby's

Rajiv Kumar, the former Vice-Chairman of the Niti Aayog, has joined the policy and advisory board of property consultant India Sotheby's International Realty.

Kumar will advise the company on policy and advocacy matters with the objective of promoting transparency and professionalism in the real estate sector, India Sotheby's International Realty (ISIR) said in a statement.

He will also be guided on the next phase of growth in the region, including the evaluation of new opportunities in the sector, said Amit Goyal, CEO, India Sotheby's International Realty.

"India Sotheby's International Realty is a premier organisation in the real estate advisory and transaction segment. We all know that the realty sector is a major driver of economic growth in the country. Transparency and professionalism are key to a healthy growth of the real estate sector and these are also the core values at ISIR," Kumar said.

Alumni of St Stephen College and Lucknow University, Kumar has received D.Litt degrees (honoris causa) from his alma mater Lucknow University and other institutions of higher learning. He has a D.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University (1982) and a PhD from Lucknow University, India (1978), the statement said.

He is also the Founding Director and current Chairman of the Pahle India Foundation (PIF) Delhi, which is a non-profit making policy think tank; and Chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Economics and Politics, Pune.

"He is one of the most seasoned economists in the country with wide experience ranging from industry policy making at the highest levels of the government. We are sure that with Dr Kumar on our Board, ISIR will achieve new heights," said Amit Goyal.

Born from the rich heritage of the Sotheby's Auction House, Sotheby's International Realty (SIR) network is present in 79 countries and territories with 1,000 offices and 25,000 sales associates and has achieved a record real estate global sales volume of USD 204 billion in 2021.

The brand established its presence in India by setting up its first office in New Delhi in July 2014. It now has offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Goa, Colombo, and the mandate for the Maldives.