Position Title: Ease of Doing Business - Lead
Location: Delhi
About Us
Foundation for Economic Development (FED) is a non-profit organisation that aims to bring about sustained and broad-based economic growth of over 10% in India.
The evidence clearly shows that economic growth is the best tool to lift people out of poverty and improve the quality of life for everyone. Until 1991, India’s poverty rate remained unchanged at ~50%. Post reforms, poverty reduced from ~50% to ~20% with 35 crore (350 million) fewer people living in abject poverty. Since 2010, sustaining fast growth has been challenging as the easy gains have been realised. It is critical for India to maintain a growth rate of over 10% for long periods of time if we want Indians’ quality of life to improve rapidly and sustainably.
FED will identify select opportunities in the economy which have the highest potential for generating incremental growth and jobs and then work with policymakers to make it happen. The organisation has Dr Arvind Panagariya, Naushad Forbes, Gurcharan Das, Jerry Rao and Ashish Dhawan on its advisory board to help shape the thinking and execution.
Our Work
FED has identified Manufacturing exports as the highest opportunity area for generating incremental growth through aggressive reforms over the next few years. Immediate focus is largely on labour-intensive manufacturing as this is the area of highest under performance and, consequently, upside if right reforms can be brought about around critical factors of production like labour, land, utilities and logistics.
Our Approach
FED work streams are divided into three primary areas.
Research and Strategy: Deep dive into identified sectors or ‘horizontal’ factors of production, speak to relevant stakeholders, study practices from other countries and build data backed evidence for change
Communication and Outreach: Build salience for opportunity in target sectors and horizontals and need for reforms through op-eds and other content in relevant channels, social media as well as one on one engagement with key bureaucrats and policymakers
Implementation Support: Work with select central ministries and state governments in helping implement specific actions to promote the target sectors. The team is currently working closely with the Central government on a reform agenda for sectors like Electronics, Garments and on Ease of doing business. Other important clients the team is working with are the UP Government on its “Mission Trillion Dollar” economy and the Odisha government on the garment exports.
FED team
Advisory Board: Dr Arvind Panagariya (Ex-VC NITI Aayog, Emeritus while he is chair of the 16th finance commission), Naushad Forbes (Co-chairman of Forbes Marshall), Gurcharan Das (Ex-MD, Procter & Gamble Worldwide), Jerry Rao (Ex-CEO, Mphasis) and Ashish Dhawan (Founder, TCF)
Governing Council: Aruna Sundararajan (Ex-Telecom Secretary, GOI), Banmali Agrawala (Chairman, Tata Electronics), Ramesh Mangaleswaran (Ex- Senior Partner McKinsey), Ramesh Abhishek (Ex-DPIIT Secretary), Rana Hasan (Director, ADB), Vishal Gupta (Director, Rare Enterprises) and Ravi Venkatesan (Ex-Chairman, Microsoft India).
Piyush Doshi (Operating Partner)
Rahul Ahluwalia (Founding Director)
Vinay Ramesh (Chief Operating Officer)
Why join FED
At FED, you will have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to public policy in India and help make lives better. We offer a collaborative, dynamic, and intellectually rigorous work environment where your ideas and initiatives can lead to meaningful change. Our team is mission driven, brought together by our common goal of improving lives and our shared understanding that economic freedom and growth are critical to achieving this goal.
Role Summary
EODB Lead will be a mission-driven, entrepreneurial leader dedicated to transforming India’s business environment and unlocking its potential. This role requires a strategic thinker who can engage with both state and central governments, as well as businesses, to drive research and execution of reform in policy and regulatory processes. The EODB Lead will establish themselves as a trusted expert, advisor and implementer for shaping initiatives that enhance the Ease of Doing Business and attract investment.
Research & Strategy: Lead the development of a sharp, evidence-backed perspective on how India can improve its Ease of Doing Business at a state and central level to attract investment and drive economic growth. Identify key regulatory and policy interventions where FED can make a meaningful impact.
Central engagement: Work with the key ministries to scope out the EODB action items at central and state levels. This would include managing the research as well as managing an EODB PMU. The lead will have to build the right relationships at the senior most levels of government.
State Engagement: Build strong relationships with senior ministers and bureaucrats at both the state and central levels to create urgency and prioritization around business-friendly reforms. Collaborate with governments to design and implement policies that streamline regulatory processes and enhance India’s business environment.
Corporate Engagement: Engage with senior executives from top domestic and global companies to understand their operational challenges, investment strategies, and regulatory needs. Advocate for India as a competitive business destination and facilitate dialogues between businesses and government stakeholders.
Partnerships: Establish collaborations with industry associations, think tanks, and organizations working on similar ease-of-doing-business initiatives to drive collective impact.
Team Building: Build and lead a high-caliber team capable of conducting in-depth analysis, generating data-driven insights, and shaping policy recommendations to drive meaningful change in India’s business ecosystem.
This individual should bring a compelling track record and be excited by the opportunity to drive systemic change beyond a single organization, shaping the national agenda for EODB. The role demands a leader with strong operational and organizational expertise, capable of advancing FED’s strategic objectives through policy advocacy, industry engagement, brand building, and performance management.
An organization and ecosystem builder, the candidate should have demonstrated ability to manage a complex, multi-dimensional portfolio in a national or global context. They must be able to mobilize FED’s structure and industry resources to drive tangible reforms. Most importantly, the individual should possess the self-confidence and ability to take a stand on key EODB issues, shaping the dialogue and driving meaningful action.
Vision and Strategy: The individual should have the ability to think long-term and translate a high-level vision for Ease of Doing Business (EODB) into a concrete, actionable strategy. This requires a deep understanding of political economy dynamics, regulatory landscapes, and market realities to drive meaningful reform.
Leadership and Drive: The candidate should have a proven track record of navigating complex regulatory and policy environments to achieve tangible outcomes. The role requires the ability to build and scale an organization, including hiring and motivating talent, forging partnerships, and influencing stakeholders to advance EODB initiatives. Adaptability and agility in response to evolving challenges are critical.
Passion for the Cause: The person should be deeply committed to improving India’s business environment and driving economic growth. They must strongly align with FED’s vision for EODB reforms and be motivated to push for transformational change in India's regulatory and investment climate.
Requirements
10+ years of professional experience with a postgraduate degree in public policy, economics, law, business, or related fields is preferred.
Proven ability to lead large, multi-functional teams, ideally across geographies.
Experience working with or within top-tier consulting firms, with exposure to projects involving government clients, public policy, or regulatory reforms.
Demonstrated expertise in navigating India’s regulatory and policy landscape, either from a consulting, corporate, or government perspective.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to structure complex problems, backed by evidence-based thinking.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities, including working with senior bureaucrats, ministers, and CXOs.
Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
Prior experience in investment promotion, ease of doing business, or economic policy reform is desirable.
