Vikram Misri appointed India’s new Foreign Secretary

Vikram Misri, a 1989-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service currently serving as the Deputy National Security Adviser, has been appointed as India’s new Foreign Secretary.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved the proposal made by the Ministry of External Affairs for appointing Vikram Misri as the next Foreign Secretary. He will be succeeding Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary.

Misri’s tenure as Foreign Secretary will begin on July 15 as the extension granted to Kwatra will end on July 14.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the following proposals of the Ministry of External Affairs: In partial modification of the order dated March 12, 2024, grant of extension in service of Shri Vinay Kwatra, (IFS :1988) as Foreign Secretary beyond April 30 2024 up to July 14, 2024. Curtailment of tenure of Shri Vikram Misri, IFS (1989) as Deputy National Security Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat,” the official order said.

“Appointment of Shri Vikram Misri, IFS (1989), Deputy National Security Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat to the post of Foreign Secretary w.e.f. July 15, 2024 vice Shri Vinay Kwatra,” it added.

Kwatra had been given a six-month extension in March this year.

Misri, 59, has the unique honour of having served as private secretary to three Prime Ministers – Inder Kumar Gujral in 1997, Manmohan Singh in 2012, and Narendra Modi in 2014.

Misri was born in Srinagar in 1964 and received his early education in Gwalior. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in history from Delhi University’s Hindu College and an MBA from XLRI.

Misri was India’s ambassador to China and played a significant part in discussions between India and China following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes that resulted from the actions of the Chinese military in Eastern Ladakh.

In his early career, Misri worked at Indian embassies in Brussels and Tunis. He became India’s ambassador to Spain in 2014 and to Myanmar in 2016. He has also held positions in several Indian diplomatic missions across Africa and North America.