Vinay Mohan Kwatra, India’s ambassador to Nepal, to take over from Shringla as Foreign Secretary

After joining the IFS in 1988, he served as the third secretary and then the second secretary in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva until 1993, where apart from learning the French language, he handled work relating to the UN specialised agencies, and also the Human Rights Commission. During this period, he also obtained a diploma in International Relations from the Graduate School of International Studies in Geneva.

Between 1993 and 2003, he served as a desk officer at the headquarters dealing with the United Nations, and subsequently in the diplomatic missions in South Africa and Uzbekistan. Between 2003 and 2006, he served as the counsellor and later as the deputy chief of mission in the Beijing embassy. From 2006 to 2010, he represented India at the SAARC Secretariat in Nepal as head of the Trade, Economy and Finance Bureau.

From May 2010 to July 2013, he served as the minister (Commerce) in the embassy in Washington. Between July 2013 and October 2015, Kwatra headed the Policy Planning & Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and later served as the head of the Americas Division in the foreign ministry where he dealt with India’s relations with the United States and Canada.

From October 2015 to August 2017, Kwatra served as the joint secretary in the office of the Prime Minister of India. From August 2017 to February 2020, he was the Ambassador of India to France. He has been serving as the ambassador of India to Nepal from March 2020 till date.