India gets new World Bank Country Director

New Delhi, Aug 01: Auguste Tano Kouame on Monday took charge as the World Bank Country Director for India. He replaces Junaid Kamal Ahmad, who recently completed his five-year term as the India head of the multilateral funding agency headquartered in Washington.

A national of Cote d'Ivoire, Auguste Tano Kouame was World Bank's Country Director for Turkiye. He led the expansion of the World Bank's country programme and deepened support to the country's climate agenda, World Bank said in a release.

Besides, he also helmed affairs at the Department of Human Development and Economic Management in World Bank group's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) from January 2017 to April 2019, as the director among others.

''The World Bank has had the privilege of supporting India's development achievements for more than 75 years. I look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership at this critical time, as the country recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to build a more resilient future,'' Auguste Tano Kouame said.

He said the World Bank stands ready, through strategic programmes and knowledge products, to support India's ambitions of becoming an upper middle-income country and a global leader on the climate agenda.

''As India takes over the presidency of the G20 later this year, the Bank, globally, looks forward to supporting India in this leadership role,'' he said.

He had joined the World Bank as a Young Professional in 1996. Before this, he worked at the United Nations Development Program and taught Applied Economics in Cote d'Ivoire and France.

A graduate degree holder in applied economics from ENSAE-Paris and a PhD in economics from EHESS-Paris, also attended a programme in Economic Management at Harvard University, the release said.