New Delhi: Veteran diplomat Vikram Misri, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service officer and former Deputy National Security Advisor, assumed the position of India’s Foreign Secretary on Monday, succeeding Vinay Kwatra. Misri’s appointment comes at a critical juncture as India grapples with complex geopolitical challenges, including strained relations with China over the prolonged eastern Ladakh border dispute and the ongoing repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended his congratulations to Misri on microblogging site, expressing his best wishes for a productive and successful tenure. Misri’s distinguished career spans numerous high-profile roles within the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Minister’s Office, and various Indian missions across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Notably, he has served as a private secretary to three Indian Prime Ministers: Inder Kumar Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi. His tenure as Foreign Secretary is set to last a minimum of two years, as per established norms.
Prior to his role as Deputy NSA, Misri served as India’s Ambassador to China from 2019 to 2021. During this period, he played a pivotal role in the diplomatic engagements following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, a conflict that significantly deteriorated India-China relations.
In addition to his service in China, Misri’s ambassadorial assignments include Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018). His career also includes significant postings in Pakistan, the United States, Germany, Belgium, and Sri Lanka.
Born in Srinagar, Misri’s early education was at Burn Hall School and DAV School in Srinagar, and Carmel Convent School in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. He completed his schooling at the Scindia School in Gwalior and earned a Bachelor’s degree with honours in history from Hindu College, University of Delhi, followed by an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. Before joining the government, he spent three years in the private sector, working in advertising and advertising film-making. Misri is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute USA’s India Leadership Initiative (now the Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship). He is married to Dolly Misri and has two children.