Deputy NSA Vikram Misri appointed new foreign secretary

New Delhi: Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri, widely regarded as an expert on China, was appointed as India’s next foreign secretary on Friday.

Misri, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, will succeed incumbent Vinay Kwatra, who is likely to be appointed as India’s ambassador to the US.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Misri’s appointment to the post of foreign secretary, effective from July 15, according to an official notification.

Misri’s appointment comes as India navigates various foreign policy challenges, including its strained relations with China following the eastern Ladakh border dispute.

He has the rare distinction of serving as private secretary to three prime ministers: Inder Kumar Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi.

Before his role as deputy NSA, Misri served as India’s ambassador to China from 2019 to 2021.

Misri, 59, is believed to have played a key role in talks between India and China following the significant tensions that arose after the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020.

The relations between the two countries significantly deteriorated following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley, marking the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. In his illustrious career, Misri also served as India’s ambassador to Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018), and had stints in several Indian missions, including those in Pakistan, the US, Germany, Belgium, and Sri Lanka.

It is expected that India’s ambassador to France, Jawed Ashraf, will be appointed as the deputy NSA.

The government is also in the process of appointing India’s envoy to the US and New Delhi’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.

Kwatra is expected to be the next ambassador to the US, according to people familiar with the matter. The post has been vacant since Taranjit Sandhu retired in January.

Kwatra received a six-month extension in March.

The position of India’s permanent representative to the UN will also be vacant after Ruchira Kamboj retires this month.