Kamal Nath as Union Commerce Minister has looked for an aggressive trade and investment policy, which helped, in enhancing exports and therefore resulted in a marked increase in FDI inflows. For that The fDi magazine and the Financial Times Business have conferred the prestigious fDi `Personality of the year 2007` award on Indian`s Union Commerce Minister, Kamal Nath for being instrumental in bringing large foreign investments to India.

Shri Kamal Nath was born on 18th November 1946 to father Late Shri Mahendra Nath and mother Smt. Leela Nath at Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh). He is an alumnus of The Doon School and did his graduation at St. Xavier`s College, Calcutta (West Bengal). He is married to Alka Nath and the couple has two sons. He represents the Chhindwara constituency of Madhya Pradesh and is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party.

As a Youth Worker, in the year1968, he joined the Indian National Congress. For the first time in 1980, he was elected to Parliament from the Chhindwara constituency. Again in 1985, 1989, 1991, 1998, 1999 and 2004, he has afterward won Parliamentary elections from the same constituency. Chhindwara is predominantly a tribal district, situated in India`s largest state of Madhya Pradesh, having large tracts of lush tropical forests. He has also served as the General Secretary of the Indian National Congress and a Member of the Congress Working Party, the highest decision making body of the Congress Party, during September 2002 to July 2004.

In 1982 and 1983, as a Member of Parliament Mr. Kamal Nath corresponded India in the United Nations General Assembly. He also adverted the International Parliamentary Union Conferences held in Nicaragua (1987), Guatemala (1988) and Cyprus (1990). He also served for sometime on the Board of Directors of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) - a Government of India Undertaking.

In June 1991, Mr. Kamal Nath was first inducted as Minister of Environment & Forests into the Union Council of Ministers. Mr. Nath made a remarkable contribution, during his tenure, to the articulation and development of the National Policy on Ecological Conservation and the Abatement of Pollution. His policy enterprising nesses include `establishment of Environment Tribunals. This concept actually includes the Environment Audit, special measures for the further protection and conservation of wildlife - fauna as well as flora, and the establishment of Environment Brigades and Aforestation Brigades so as to enthuse the youth in the country, and involve them, as well as many Non-Governmental Organizations, in active participation in the conservation of the environment`. Under his stewardship, the aforestation and development of dishonored wastelands in India was taken up on a massive scale. He articulated global concepts on Environmental Tariffs and conceptualized Global Emission Quotas.

Mr. Kamal Nath led the Indian Delegation as Minister to the World Forestry Conference in Paris in the year 1991. He also led the delegations to the UNEP Governing Council meeting in Nairobi, the PREPCOM IV discussions in New York and the Kuala Lumpur Conference, all in 1992. He also hosted the SAARC Environment Ministers Conference in New Delhi. And in June 1992, he emerged as one of the chief spokesmen for developing countries at the UNCED in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Nath has also led national delegations to Finland, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Dubai and UK as also to UNCTAD and UNEP.

During his tenure as Textile Minister following this, the country touched new heights in production & export of Cotton. The New Textile policy was successfully launched to achieve an all time high exports of garments & fabrics.

On May 24, 2004, Mr. Kamal Nath usurped as the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry. As the Commerce & Industry Minister his tenure has witnessed major trade policy initiatives. A comprehensive Foreign Trade Policy (2004-09), for the first time, has been proclaimed laying out a coherent roadmap with a twin focus on exports as well as employment. Over the previous year, India`s merchandise exports rose to around US $ 80 billion registering over 24% growth in 2004-05. With countries like China and Pakistan major bilateral trade initiatives have been taken and there has been significant progress in the area of regional trade understandings.

India has played a dynamic and beneficial role on the multilateral trade front, in the finalization of the WTO Framework Agreement of July 2004 and also hosted the G-20 meeting in New Delhi consolidating the G-20 alliance. With the passageway of the Patents (Amendment) Bill 2005, India has entered the full product patent regime which started effecting from 1/1/2005 and major FDI policy initiatives have been taken such as allowing 100% FDI under the automatic route in the construction-development sector.

Mr. Kamal Nath has an exquisite interest in welfare issues, in particular tribal uplift and rural development. He is also holding the post of the President of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad; Chairman, Madhya Pradesh Child Development Council; and Patron, Bharat Yuvak Samaj (Youth Wing of All India Bharat Seva Samaj). He is also member of Calcutta Cricket and Football Clubs, Tollygunj Club, Calcutta, Delhi Flying Club, and Ex-Chief Patron, Delhi Distt. Cricket Association.