Dinesh K Patnaik appointed India’s next High Commissioner to Canada

Senior diplomat Dinesh K. Patnaik has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday.

Patnaik, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, is currently serving as Ambassador to Spain. He is expected to take up his new assignment in Ottawa shortly.

Bilateral relations between India and Canada have faced turbulence in recent years, particularly after Canadian allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. India strongly rejected the charges, leading to diplomatic expulsions, curbs on visas and a freeze in dialogue. In October 2024, India withdrew its envoy to Canada.

However, recent high-level political signals, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s outreach to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, have opened a window for a diplomatic reset.

Patnaik’s appointment is being viewed in New Delhi as a carefully chosen move, given his prior experience handling sensitive diaspora-related issues in London and his track record in navigating politically complex assignments.

A distinguished diplomat with over three decades of experience, Patnaik brings a wealth of international and institutional expertise to his new assignment.

His previous foreign postings include Cambodia (2012–2015) and the Kingdom of Morocco (2015–2016) as Ambassador, followed by serving as Deputy High Commissioner in London between 2016 and 2018 -- during which he dealt with challenges related to Sikhs separatist activities, a sensitivity that he will likely address again in his new role.

Patnaik has also held significant leadership positions at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), including Additional Secretary overseeing the Indian Ocean Region, and later the Consular, Passport & Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs divisions. From February 2020 until December 2021, he headed the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) as Director General, strengthening India’s cultural diplomacy.