Vikram Misri, renowned China expert, becomes new foreign secretary
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Vikram Misri, a seasoned diplomat known for his expertise on China and national security, assumed the role of India's new Foreign Secretary on Monday.
Misri, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, previously served as the Deputy National Security Advisor, and succeeds Vinay Kwatra.
At 59, Misri takes on this critical role amidst various geopolitical challenges, including strained India-China relations due to the ongoing eastern Ladakh border issue and the repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended his congratulations to Misri on X, wishing him a successful tenure.
Misri has held multiple roles within the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Minister's Office, and various Indian missions across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Notably, he served as private secretary to three prime ministers: Inder Kumar Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi.
Misri is expected to have a minimum tenure of two years as the Foreign Secretary.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also welcomed Misri on X, expressing confidence in his leadership.
Before his appointment as Deputy NSA, Misri was India's ambassador to China from 2019-2021. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in negotiations between India and China following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, which marked the most severe military conflict between the two nations in decades.
Misri's distinguished career includes serving as India's ambassador to Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018), with postings in Pakistan, the US, Germany, Belgium, and Sri Lanka. Born in Srinagar, he received his early education in Jammu and Kashmir before completing his schooling at the Scindia School in Gwalior. Misri holds a Bachelor's degree with honors in history from Hindu College, University of Delhi, and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur.
Prior to his government service, Misri worked in the private sector in advertising and advertising film-making for three years. He is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute USA's India Leadership Initiative (now the Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship).
He is married to Dolly Misri, and they have two children.