In a significant diplomatic development, the Government of India on Thursday (August 28, 2025) appointed senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik (IFS:1990) as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada. He is currently serving as India’s Ambassador to Spain and is expected to assume his new assignment in Ottawa shortly.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the appointment in an official statement: “Shri Dinesh K Patnaik (IFS:1990), presently Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.”
This appointment comes nearly nine months after India withdrew its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma (IFS:1988) and other senior diplomats from Ottawa amid diplomatic tensions. Patnaik’s posting is expected to strengthen bilateral engagement and restore the continuity of high-level diplomatic presence between India and Canada.
With more than three decades of service, Dinesh K Patnaik is a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. Over his career, he has served in Indian missions in Geneva, Dhaka, Beijing, and Vienna, apart from crucial divisions in the Ministry of External Affairs focusing on Africa, Europe (West), the United Nations, and external publicity.
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