Newly appointed Indian Ambassador Sudhakar Dalela has arrived in Kathmandu to assume his role, arriving just one day before Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's scheduled official visit to Nepal to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
New Envoy Assumes Office in Kathmandu
Newly appointed Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Sudhakar Dalela, arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday to assume charge, a day ahead of the scheduled official visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to the neighbouring country. Ambassador Dalela arrived in Kathmandu on an Air India flight in the afternoon, where he was welcomed by officials from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
Diplomatic Career and Background
Professional Experience and Key Roles
Dalela joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1993 and began his diplomatic career in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since then, he has served in Indian diplomatic missions in Brasilia, Chicago, Dhaka, Geneva, Thimphu and Washington, DC. Most recently, he served as India's Ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025.
During his diplomatic career, Dalela has held several important positions in New Delhi, including Director in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) from 2009 to 2011, where he focused on India's engagement with its South Asian neighbours, East Asia and countries in the Indo-Pacific region, the Gulf, the Middle East and Africa. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), he also served as Director (North) from 2006 to 2007 and subsequently as Joint Secretary (North) in the Ministry of External Affairs from 2016 to 2019, overseeing India's relations with Bhutan and Nepal.
Dalela also brings experience in trade and economic policy, having served in the Department of Commerce in New Delhi as Director (Trade Policy). He has also served twice at the Permanent Mission of India to the World Trade Organization (WTO), including as India's Deputy Permanent Representative from 2014 to 2016.
Previous Assignments in the United States and Recent Tenure
Ambassador Dalela has served in the United States in different capacities: as India’s Consul General in Chicago; as Minister for Political Affairs (2011-2014), and as the Deputy Chief of Mission (2020-2022) at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC. On September 1, 2025, Dalela assumed responsibilities as Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Before his appointment as India's Ambassador to Nepal, he was handling India's economic diplomacy, development partnership with countries in the Global South, partnership with Africa, multilateral economic relations, and new and emerging strategic technologies. He also served as India's Sherpa for BRICS, IBSA and I2U2. Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, Dalela earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering.
Upcoming Official Visit by Foreign Secretary
His arrival in Kathmandu comes ahead of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's two-day official visit to Nepal from November 4 to 5, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs. According to the official press release, the Foreign Secretary will discuss bilateral, regional and global matters of mutual interest during his visit.
The MEA has stated that India and Nepal "share strong and friendly ties which have seen substantial progress across diverse areas of cooperation". The Ministry further said that the Foreign Secretary's upcoming visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and is expected to help further strengthen the comprehensive bilateral partnership. (ANI)
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