With 18 years of experience in public service, Mr. Amrit Abhijat currently heads the Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, where he is responsible for implementing the state’s tourism policy and supervising both central and state government tourism projects in Uttar Pradesh, including the World Bank-supported Pro-poor Tourism Development Project.

In previous roles, Mr. Abhijat served as the Uttar Pradesh state Secretary of Culture and Tourism, Home, Information and Public Relations, and Technical and Vocational Education, as well as District Magistrate of nine cities including Agra, home to India’s biggest tourism draw, the Taj Mahal. In his multi-sectoral approach to tourism and development, Mr. Abhijat brings together an extensive academic background in history and research interests in rural development, cultural heritage and environmental law.