Asian Development Bank names Mio Oka as country director for India

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Mio Oka as the country director for India, the lender said on Monday.

Oka, who will take over from Takeo Konishi, will steer ADB’s operations in India and foster relations with the government and the country’s other development partners, the bank said in a statement.

“She will lead the implementation of ADB’s country partnership strategy 2023–27, which is designed to catalyze robust, climate-resilient, and inclusive private sector-led growth in India,” ADB said in the release.

“I eagerly look forward to further solidifying our strong partnership with the government and other stakeholders, channeling my efforts into pioneering solutions, to support the country’s priority agenda,” Oka said. “ADB remains committed to bolstering India’s inclusive and green growth momentum through strategic investments to address critical challenges in infrastructure, human development, and climate risk vulnerability beside promoting private sector development.”

A Japanese national, Oka has been with the ADB for about 18 years. Oka has served in various capacities since joining the bank as a project specialist in the Mekong department in 2005.

She has served as advisor to ADB’s president for about six years and has been a director in the agriculture and natural resources sector, covering South Asia region and emerging areas team for over seven years.

Prior to her tenure at ADB, Oka worked with the ministry of foreign affairs in Japan, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and at the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s Bangladesh office.

Oka holds a master’s degree in social policy and planning in developing countries from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree in development studies and politics from the University of London.

India is ADB’s fourth largest shareholder and one of its largest borrowers since 2010. In 2023, ADB committed $2.59 billion in sovereign lending to India in addition to $16.31 million in technical assistance and $5.25 million in grants under the sovereign portfolio.

The current India sovereign portfolio comprises 73 projects worth a total of $15.7 billion.