Vikram Doraiswami named new Indian envoy to China| India Information
India on Thursday named veteran diplomat Vikram Doraiswami, presently the excessive commissioner to the UK, as its subsequent ambassador to China at a time when the 2 international locations are engaged within the technique of rebuilding their relationship after a protracted navy face-off on the Line of Precise Management (LAC).
Doraiswami is perceived as one of many ablest senior diplomats who has served because the envoy to Uzbekistan, South Korea and Bangladesh earlier than he was despatched to London in September 2022.
He’s anticipated to take up his new task shortly, the exterior affairs ministry mentioned in a short assertion saying his appointment because the excessive commissioner to Britain.
In Beijing, Doraiswami will change Pradeep Rawat, who has performed a key function within the normalisation of India-China ties because the two sides ended a greater than four-year standoff in Ladakh sector of the LAC in October 2023. Since then, the 2 sides have revived the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and resumed direct flights, whereas India has eased restrictions on each visas and direct investments from China.
P Kumaran, secretary (East) within the exterior affairs ministry, is extensively tipped to switch Doraiswami within the UK, individuals acquainted with the matter mentioned.
Doraiswami’s first overseas posting was to the then Indian excessive fee in Hong Kong in Might 1994, when the territory was nonetheless managed by the British. It was right here that he learnt Mandarin on the Chinese language College of Hong Kong, and he was subsequently posted to the Indian mission in Beijing, the place he served for almost 4 years from September 1996.
Along with his overseas assignments, Doraiswami – a journalist-turned-diplomat – was deputed to the Prime Minister’s Workplace in 2002 and served as non-public secretary to late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Doraiswami additionally served in India’s everlasting mission to the UN in New York in 2006 and as consul basic in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2009, earlier than being appointed because the envoy to Uzbekistan in 2014. He was posted because the ambassador to South Korea in 2015 after which went on to function the excessive commissioner to Bangladesh throughout 2020-2022. He grew to become excessive commissioner to the UK in September 2022.
Throughout his stint in Dhaka, Doraiswami was identified for his outreach to forces throughout the political spectrum at a time when the nation was dominated by Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. After being posted to the UK, he performed a key function in addressing India’s considerations in regards to the actions of Khalistani components in Britain and helped elevate bilateral ties as the 2 sides negotiated a free commerce settlement, which was signed in July 2025.
On the headquarters, Doraiswami has served as the pinnacle of the division for the South Asian Affiliation for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in 2011, joint secretary for the Americas division throughout 2012-2014, and as head of the division dealing with Bangladesh and the Maldives in 2018. He helped arrange a brand new division for the Indo-Pacific area in 2019 and was subsequently appointed the extra secretary answerable for worldwide organisations and summits.