Vikram Misri is new foreign secretary

Vikram Misri takes over as foreign secretary

Vikram Misri, an officer of the 1989 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), is India's new foriegn secretary. HE has the rare distinction of serving as private secretary to three prime ministers Narendra Modi, Manmohan Singh and Late I K Gujral.

Misri, former envoy to Beijing and an expert on China, took over as the foreign secretary on Monday after Vinay Kwatra completed his tenure.

Misri, an officer of the 1989 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) who has the rare distinction of serving as private secretary to three prime ministers, last held the post of deputy national security adviser.

 IFS officers usually move from the external affairs ministry to the NSC and the reverse is rare.

“Congratulate Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri as he assumes his new responsibility today. Wish him a productive and successful tenure,” external affairs minister S Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Kwatra, who was given a six-month extension in April that was subsequently curtailed, is expected to be named the next envoy to the US.

As the ambassador to Beijing during 2019-2021, Misri played a key role in contacts with the Chinese government after the start of the military standoff in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in May 2020. 

Misri served as private secretary to Prime Minister IK Gujral (1997-1998), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (2012-2014), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (May to July 2014).

 

He also served as India’s ambassador to Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018), and in various capacities, including chargé d’affaires in the Indian high commission in Pakistan during 2000-2003. 

Besides serving as a political counsellor in the embassy in Washington (2003-2006) and as deputy high commissioner in the high commission in Sri Lanka (2008-2011), he had stints in the Indian mission in Germany.

Born in Srinagar on November 7, 1964, Misri did his schooling in Srinagar, Udhampur and Gwalior before earning a bachelor’s degree with honours in history from Hindu College in New Delhi and an MBA in Jamshedpur. Before joining the government, he worked for three years in advertising in Mumbai.

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