Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the current 34th Foreign Secretary of India, having taken over from Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who is tipped to be India’s chief G20 coordinator, as per The Economic Times. 

Kwatra, who has previously served as India’s ambassador to France and Nepal, will accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his Europe trip where the Indian head of state is slated to visit Germany, Denmark, and France. 

Early life and qualifications 

Kwatra was born on December 15, 1962, and has a Bachelor’s in Science in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (Hons.) from GBPUAT, Pantnagar. He also holds a Master’s in Science. Kwatra also has a diploma in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva.

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The Indian diplomat had the shorters tenure in history, while posted in Pakistan. Kwatra arrived in Karachi as Consul in May 1993 only to return five months later. 

He is a senior Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officer from the 1988 batch and is credited with having improved India-Nepal ties during his time there. 

Career and postings

Since Kwatra joined the service, he served as Third Secretary and then Second Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, until 1993. Then, he was in Durban, China, and Russia, in the Indian consulate. 

During his career, Kwatra also served in India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) handling the development program in Afghanistan. He’s also been head of economic, finance, and trade issues in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). 

Having Modi’s ear 

When Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, and was new to external affairs, Kwatra was unofficially his interpreter for several months. 

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Having heard the diplomat’s past experiences from Indian missions abroad, the PM reportedly considers the new Foreign Secretary to be a fervent patriot sharing Modi’s worldview, as per The Indian Express. Kwatra’s views are also reportedly aligned with those of S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister.