KATHMANDU, Oct 16: India has appointed Sudhakar Dalela, secretary in its Ministry of External Affairs, as its next ambassador to Nepal.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced the appointment on Friday, saying Dalela would take up the assignment shortly. Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier received his name for agrément, the host country’s formal approval of an ambassadorial appointment.
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The post had remained vacant since outgoing Ambassador Naveen Srivastava completed his tenure and returned to New Delhi two weeks ago.
Dalela’s appointment marks the selection of a secretary-rank diplomat to head India’s mission in Kathmandu, where New Delhi has traditionally appointed diplomats at the additional secretary level.
Dalela, a 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has extensive experience in India’s relations with Nepal and Bhutan. He served as joint secretary (North) at the Ministry of External Affairs from 2016 to 2019, overseeing relations with the two neighbouring countries. He also handled the Nepal desk for five years and served as India’s ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025.
His previous diplomatic assignments include postings in Tel Aviv, Brasilia, Chicago, Dhaka, Geneva, Thimphu and Washington, D.C. He also served in India’s Prime Minister’s Office from 2009 to 2011, focusing on the country’s engagement with regional and international partners.
Dalela’s appointment comes as Nepal prepares to send its own ambassador to India. Nepal has nominated Dr Nishchal Nath Pandey for the post, and his appointment is awaiting formalization following the Parliamentary Hearing Committee’s approval of his nomination.