India has appointed former Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra as its ambassador to the United States. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the appointment on Friday, stating that Kwatra is expected to assume the role shortly. The position has been vacant since Taranjit Sandhu’s retirement in January.
Kwatra, a veteran diplomat, is anticipated to bring a sense of certainty and continuity to India-US relations. This is particularly important considering the upcoming US presidential elections in November, which could potentially lead to a change in administration. Sources familiar with the developments, as reported by Bloomberg, have indicated that Kwatra’s immediate priority will be to establish communication and engage with officials responsible for handling India-related policies within the next US administration.
Kwatra’s extensive diplomatic experience spans over three decades. He served as India’s foreign secretary from May 1, 2022, to July 14, 2024. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1988 and has held various roles in different parts of the world. He served at India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva during the early years of his career. Between 1993 and 2003, he was a desk officer at the external affairs ministry’s headquarters in Delhi, focusing on United Nations affairs. He subsequently served in diplomatic missions in South Africa and Uzbekistan. From 2003 to 2006, he was the counsellor and later the deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Beijing.
Kwatra’s diplomatic career also includes representation at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretariat in Nepal as the head of the trade, economy, and finance bureau from 2006 to 2010. He served as minister (commerce) at the Indian embassy in Washington from May 2010 to July 2013. Between July 2013 and October 2015, he headed the policy planning and research division in the Ministry of External Affairs and later led the Americas division. He also served as the joint secretary in the office of the prime minister from October 2015 to August 2017. From August 2017 to February 2020, he was the ambassador to France, and from March 2020 to April 2022, he served as the ambassador to Nepal.
