New Delhi: Senior diplomat Sudhakar Dalela (IFS: 1993), currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has been appointed India’s next ambassador to Nepal. The MEA announced his appointment on Friday evening, stating that he is expected to assume the assignment shortly.
Dalela will succeed Naveen Srivastava (IFS: 1993), who recently completed his three-year tenure as India’s ambassador to Nepal and retired from service.
The appointment of a Secretary-level officer to Kathmandu marks a notable elevation in the seniority of India’s diplomatic representation in Nepal. India has traditionally posted officers of Additional Secretary rank to the neighbouring country. The move is seen as underscoring the importance New Delhi attaches to its bilateral relationship with Kathmandu.
The appointment comes as India and Nepal engage in discussions to arrange the first bilateral visit of Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah to India, expected next month. The proposed visit is likely to provide an opportunity for the two countries to discuss key bilateral priorities and strengthen their engagement.
Dalela brings considerable diplomatic experience to the new assignment. He previously served as India’s ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025, overseeing diplomatic engagement with another important neighbour in the Himalayan region.
In September 2025, he was appointed Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, where he handled India’s economic diplomacy, development partnerships with countries in the Global South, and multilateral economic relations.
He has also served as India’s Sherpa for the BRICS grouping, the India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA), and the India-Israel-United States-United Arab Emirates grouping (I2U2).
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