India's next foreign secretary will be Vikram Misri, the deputy national security adviser and a highly regarded China expert. Mr. Misri, an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1989 batch, will take over for Vinay Kwatra, who is expected to be named India's ambassador to the United States.
Mr. Misri, the deputy NSA in the National Security Council Secretariat, has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet to become the foreign secretary effective July 15, according to an official notification. Following the dispute over the eastern Ladakh border, India has strained relations with China and must now navigate a number of foreign policy obstacles.
One such challenge is the appointment of Misri. He has the unique distinction of being Inder Kumar Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi's private secretary.
Vikram Misri was India's ambassador to China from 2019 until he was named the Deputy NSA. After tensions increased sharply after the clashes in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, Misri is thought to have been instrumental in mediating talks between China and India.
Following a violent skirmish in the Galwan Valley, which was the most significant military confrontation between the two sides in decades, relations between the two nations severely deteriorated. Misri held positions in numerous Indian missions, including those in Pakistan, the US, Germany, Belgium, and Sri Lanka, during his distinguished career. He also served as India's ambassador to Spain from 2014 to 2016 and to Myanmar from 2016 to 2018.
The deputy NSA position is reportedly set to go to Jawed Ashraf, India's ambassador to France. According to sources, the government is also in the process of designating New Delhi's permanent representative to the UN in New York and India's envoy to the US.
According to people familiar with the situation, Kwatra is anticipated to serve as the next ambassador to the US. Ever since Taranjit Sandhu retired in January, the position has remained unfilled. In March, a six-month extension was granted to Mr. Kwatra. Since Ruchira Kamboj is retiring this month, there is also a vacancy in the role of India's permanent representative to the UN.
Who is Vikram Misri?
Born in Srinagar in 1964, Misri, now 59, finished his early schooling in Gwalior before earning his history degree from Delhi University's Hindu College. He then completed his MBA at XLRI.