Sudhakar Dalela likely to become new Indian envoy in Dhaka
BI Desk || BusinessInsider
Sudhakar Dalela. Photo: Collected
India’s Deputy Chief of Mission in the US Sudhakar Dalela, a 1993 batch IFS officer, is expected to replace ambassador Vikram Doraiswami in Dhaka.
Dalela has vast experience as director (Prime Minister’s Office) focusing on India’s engagement with its South Asian neighbours and he was joint secretary handling Bhutan and Nepal when the 2017 Doklam crisis broke with China.
Doraiswami is expected to take over as Indian envoy to the United Kingdom, reports Hindustan Times on Saturday.
A 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Doraiswami is a Chinese speaker who has served as Indian ambassador to Uzbekistan, South Korea and served in the US as well as private secretary to the prime minister.
Doraiswami replaces ambassador Gaitri Issar Kumar, who superannuated on June 30, 2022.
A professional and hardworking diplomat, Doraiswami has been central to the close bilateral relationship with Dhaka with the officer pushing for cementing ties with Bangladesh through infrastructure and defence cooperation. Doraiswami as Indian ambassador to South Korea was one of the key players to get KIA motors into India and joint development of K-9 155 mm self-propelled howitzer in India.
Doraiswami’s appointment as ambassador to the UK comes after the Modi government went through a several month-long deep selection process which included looking at the possibility of having a political appointee as envoy to London. The Indian relationship with the UK is close but has a number of friction points relating to London’s desire to play the erstwhile Imperial Raj angle in Afghanistan and Pakistan. UK has often dabbled on issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir in the past due to its domestic Mirpuri Muslim vote banks. The country is also responsible for several issues related to giving shelter to Sikh radicals as well as allowing them to raise funds against India. However, India and the UK are currently negotiating towards a free trade agreement with New Delhi clearly spelling out its concerns to London.
In Vikram Doraiswami, India will have an ambassador who will push for closer relationships but will also take up friction points including those related to diaspora upfront.
