New Delhi

Vikram Misri assumed the charge of Foreign Secretary of India on Monday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed warm regards and best wishes to Foreign Secretary Misri for a successful tenure ahead.

"Shri Vikram Misri assumed charge as Foreign Secretary today. #TeamMEA extends a warm welcome to Foreign Secretary Misri and wishes him a successful tenure ahead," said MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X.

Shri Vikram Misri assumed charge as Foreign Secretary today. #TeamMEA extends a warm welcome to Foreign Secretary Misri and wishes him a successful tenure ahead. pic.twitter.com/5JnjYb8hq7

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 15, 2024

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, succeeding Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary.

On July 14, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar bid farewell to outgoing Foreign Secretary Kwatra, acknowledging his profound contributions to India's foreign policy and national security over the past decade. Jaishankar praised Kwatra for his strategic acumen in shaping and executing crucial policies during his tenure.

"Thank outgoing Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra for his dedication and many contributions in the field of foreign policy and national security. Particularly in the last decade, he has helped strategise and execute so many of our key policies. Wish him well in his future endeavours," EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Congratulate Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri as he assumes his new responsibility today.

Wish him a productive and successful tenure. pic.twitter.com/09VxQuwlcG

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 15, 2024

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 role 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.

He was most recently the Deputy National Security Adviser (Strategic Affairs) of India, a post he held from 01 January 2022 to 30 June 2024. Ambassador Misri was born in Srinagar and had his early education there (Burn Hall School and DAV School) as well as in Udhampur (Carmel Convent School) in Jammu and Kashmir.

He finished his schooling at the Scindia School in Gwalior and earned a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in History from the Hindu College, University of Delhi, and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Before joining the government, he worked for three years in the private sector in the fields of advertising, and film-making.

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Misri is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute USA´s India Leadership Initiative (now the Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship). He speaks fluent Hindi, English and Kashmiri and has a working knowledge of French. Misri is married to Dolly Misri and they have two children.