About Kshitij
Public sector strategist with 12+ years of experience advising governments, development authorities, and UHNW family office entities across India and the GCC. I specialize in driving high-impact transformation across tourism, urban development, skills, and innovation — blending policy insight with design thinking and implementation rigor. From shaping $1.7Bn investment-enabling tourism policies to designing national skilling frameworks and advising on city-scale masterplans, I bring a proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage complex stakeholder landscapes, and deliver measurable public value. Currently based in the UAE and open to leadership roles where strategic thinking meets on-ground impact.
Hindi
Native or bilingual
Gujarati
Conversational
English
Native or bilingual
Can work on-site
Dubai City (up to 50km), Abu Dhabi Island and Internal Islands City (up to 10km)
Experience
- PwC Middle EastSenior ManagerTRAVEL AND TOURISMDecember 2023 - April 2025 (1 year and 4 months)Dubai City, United Arab EmiratesLed strategic assessments, investment screenings, and operating model design for public and private sector clients across the GCC, as part of PwC’s Global Center of Excellence for Tourism & Hospitality.Key engagements included:Abu Dhabi Capital Urban Plan 2040 (Tourism Assessment): Delivered the thematic tourism assessment that informed the City’s long-term urban vision, culminating in an implementation roadmap with 506 projects worth AED 227Bn — 58 directly tied to tourism growth and diversification.UAE UHNW Shareholder Office: Spearheaded the setup and operations of a newly formed shareholder office, including investment screening, board reporting, and operating model design — enabling strategic governance and improved decision support across subsidiaries.Managed cross-functional teams of up to 10 across geographies and sectors; contributed to business development wins totaling $1.05Mn. Trusted by senior government and family office stakeholders for clear insights and structured, high-impact delivery.
- KPMG IndiaManagerCONSULTING AND AUDITSJuly 2016 - November 2023 (7 years and 4 months)Mumbai, IndiaLed public policy, strategy, and program implementation initiatives across tourism, urban transformation, skilling, and innovation sectors for government clients in India. Spearheaded high-impact programs with tangible results in investment mobilization, policy reform, and digital transformation.Key engagements included:Maharashtra Tourism Policy & Sector Reforms: Drafted and led implementation of the 2016 policy, driving a +150% increase in tourism GVA and attracting ~$1.7Bn in new investments. Designed the Ease of Doing Business reform through a Single Window Clearance system, reducing 70+ permissions to 10, unlocking $640Mn+ in hospitality projects.Tourism Master Plan for Nashik Smart City: Developed the city’s tourism roadmap as part of the Smart Cities Mission, facilitating ~$150Mn in public funding and matching PPP investments across 21 strategic projects.Skills, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Transformation: Co-authored Maharashtra’s Startup Policy, initiated grassroots outreach campaigns (Startup Yatra), and designed the $277Mn World Bank–funded DAKSH Program to modernize 419 ITIs. Led the setup of the Maharashtra State Skills University, with 4 of 5 schools operational across 8 centers in under 18 months.Urban Tech & Governance Projects: Oversaw implementation of a GIS-based property mapping platform across 360 municipalities, and led digital urban planning initiatives for 100+ local councils.Rural Employment Guarantee Support: Designed a data-driven monitoring and decision support system for MGNREGS during COVID-19, enabling better coordination and scheme implementation.Over 7 years, managed teams of 4–10, contributed to business development worth approximately INR 9 Crore (~USD 1.1Mn), and worked closely with ministers, senior bureaucrats, CXOs, and investors.Represented Government of Maharashtra in international ministerial delegations, including a government-to-government skills partnership dialogue in Stuttgart, Germany.
- U+ COLLECTIVEFreelance ConsultantARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNINGNovember 2014 - May 2016 (1 year and 6 months)Mumbai, IndiaLed urban design and placemaking projects focused on enhancing street safety, mobility, and the public realm for municipal authorities in Maharashtra. Worked at the intersection of pedestrian infrastructure, transit access, and spatial aesthetics to create people-centered urban environments.Key contributions included:Intersection & Street Design Projects in Nashik & Mumbai: Designed and delivered context-sensitive solutions to improve pedestrian safety, public transport accessibility, and right-of-way allocation at high-traffic nodes. Integrated urban mobility needs with placemaking elements to uplift everyday street experience.Built and scaled a new urban design portfolio within the firm, resulting in award-winning projects and recognition in the local urban design community.Over 1.5 years, helped establish U+ Collective’s urban renewal practice, working closely with city authorities to align design interventions with evolving urban priorities.
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Education
- Master of ArchitectureCEPT University2016MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE (MAJORI NG I N URBAN DESIGN)
- Bachelor of ArchitectureAcademy of ArchitectureBACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE