Vikram Misri, a 1989-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service and currently serving as the Deputy National Security Adviser, has been appointed as Bharat’s new Foreign Secretary. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved the External Affairs Ministry’s proposal for his appointment, succeeding Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
Misri’s tenure as Foreign Secretary will begin on July 15, following the conclusion of the extension granted to Kwatra, which ends 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 Vinay Kwatra as Foreign Secretary beyond April 30, 2024 up to July 14, 2024. Curtailment of tenure of Vikram Misri as Deputy National Security Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat,” the official order stated.
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.
Born in Srinagar in 1964, Misri 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 Bharat’s ambassador to China and played a significant role in discussions between Bharat and China following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.
In his early career, Misri worked at Indian embassies in Brussels and Tunis. He became Bharat’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.
