Nitin Desai is an Indian economist and international civil servant.
25 Facts About Nitin Desai
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Nitin Desai was under-secretary-general for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations from 1992 to 2003.
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Nitin Desai was born to Dayalji M and Shantaben Desai in 1941.
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Nitin Desai studied at St Xavier's High School and Elphinstone College in Mumbai.
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Nitin Desai received a bachelor's degree from the University of Bombay in 1962 and, in 1965, earned a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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Nitin Desai began his government career in 1973 in the Planning Commission of the Government of India where he served in various capacities.
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Nitin Desai was involved in energy policy work and was on the board of Indian Oil Corporation.
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Nitin Desai was the member-secretary of the National Commission on the Development of Backward Areas.
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In 1990, Nitin Desai's services were requested by the United Nations.
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In March 1997, Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Nitin Desai to co-ordinate, and subsequently head, the consolidated Department of Economic and Social Affairs which provided substantive support to the normative, analytical, statistical and relevant technical co-operation processes of the United Nations on the economic and social side.
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In that capacity Nitin Desai organised and managed the Copenhagen Summit on Social Development and the Monterrey Summit on Finance and Development.
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Nitin Desai was the convener of the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs which brings together the heads of all the UN Secretariat entities directly concerned with economic, environmental and social issues.
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In October 2001, the secretary-general asked Nitin Desai to act as secretary-general of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
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Nitin Desai undertook this task in addition to his existing responsibilities.
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In July 2004 Nitin Desai was inducted as an honorary fellow of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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In India, Nitin Desai has been involved in a variety of public policy activities.
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Nitin Desai chaired the Committee on Technical Innovation and Venture Capital set up by the Planning Commission, Government of India, in 2006.
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Nitin Desai is the co-chair, along with Lord Chris Patten, of the India-UK Round Table set up by the two governments.
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In 2008, Nitin Desai joined the Advisory Board of the carbon finance business IDEAcarbon.
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Nitin Desai is associated with the Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy and many academic organisations and non-governmental organizations dealing with economic, social and environmental issues as security and foreign policy.
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Nitin Desai has published several articles and papers on development planning, regional economics, industry, energy and international economic relations.
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Nitin Desai writes a monthly column for the Business Standard, an economic daily published from Delhi.
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In October 2012, Nitin Desai was elected chair of the Board of Trustees of Oxfam International, an international non-governmental organizations for an initial three-year term, beginning March 2013.
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Nitin Desai stepped down in October 2013 on health grounds.
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Niti Nitin Desai married Aditi Gupta in 1979, and they have two children, Kartikeya and Nandan.