Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA) Vikram Misri has been appointed as the next Foreign Secretary, an official order released on Friday read. Misri, a 1989 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, will assume the role on July 15, succeeding Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Misri’s appointment, as well as the curtailment of his tenure as Deputy NSA. Misri has held significant roles throughout his career, including serving as private secretary to PM Narendra Modi and former Prime Ministers Inder Kumar Gujral and Manmohan Singh.
He is recognized as a key expert on China within the Ministry of External Affairs, with his most recent ambassadorial posting being in Beijing. Misri joined the National Security Council Secretariat in January 2022.
Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the outgoing Foreign Secretary, was granted a six-month extension in March this year. Several media reports indicate that Kwatra is expected to become the next Indian envoy to the United States within the next few months. The position has been vacant since Taranjit Sandhu retired in January.