Ranjan Mathai is new foreign secretary of India

New Delhi
27 June 2011

Ranjan Mathai, India's ambassador to France, will be the next foreign secretary. The 59-year-old diplomat will assume charge on August 1, the day after the incumbent, Ms Nirupama Rao, superannuates.

A 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Mr Mathai will serve as the top diplomat for two years, until July 31, 2013.

Since 1998, Mr Mathai has served abroad, successively in Tel Aviv, Doha, London and Paris. Prior to serving as ambassador to France (since January 2007), Mr Mathai was India's deputy high commissioner in London (August 2005 to January 2007), ambassador to Qatar (August 2001 to July 2005), ambassador to Israel (February 1998 to June 2001).

Mr Mathai is the first foreign secretary since the UPA came to power in 2004, who has not served as an envoy in India's neighbourhood. However, between January 1995 and February 1998 he was a joint secretary in the ministry of external affairs looking after the division responsible for India's relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Burma.

A Malayali by origin, Mr Mathai is a post-graduate in political science from the University of Poona.

Although a formal announcement is awaited, Ms Nirupama Rao will succeed Meera Shankar as the Indian ambassador to the United States. Ms Rao (60) was to retire in December last year but she was given an extension till July 31 this year. During her term, the government amended its rules to stipulate that a foreign secretary would henceforth serve for a fixed period of two years.

Sujatha Singh, India's high commissioner to Australia, is likely to succeed Mr Mathai as the new Indian ambassador to France.

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