Three diplomats in race for India’s next envoy to US

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 25

The race for the next Indian ambassador to the US has started in earnest. Arun Singh, the current Indian envoy to the US, is set to retire by August-end and the government is mulling its options on the next person to head its mission in Washington DC.

Sources informed The Tribune that there were three people in contention. Navtej Sarna, currently India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Pankaj Saran, India’s Ambassador to Russia, and Navdeep Suri, Indian High Commissioner to Australia. The government is looking at the merits of all three candidates with sources pointing out that the final call will be taken by the Prime Minister.

That also sets in motion some major reshuffles within the Ministry of External Affairs. Santosh Jha, Joint Secretary (policy planning) in the Ministry, is all set to move to Washington DC as Deputy Ambassador.

Dinesh Patnaik is set to move to London as the Deputy High Commissioner as his stint as India’s Ambassador to Morocco ends. Yash Sinha, who is currently serving as the High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, also lobbied hard for the Washington posting but sources point out that he might get to go to London as High Commissioner if Sarna moves to Washington DC.

Taranjit Sandhu, who is India’s deputy chief of mission in Washington, is headed to Sri Lanka as the new High Commissioner.