
Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu presents his credentials to US president Donald Trump
India’s Ambassador-Designate to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Thursday presented his credential to President Donald Trump in his Oval Office of the White House.
Trump, during the Oval Office credentials ceremony, warmly welcomed Sandhu, a career foreign service official, back to Washington DC and wished him success in his responsibilities as India’s ambassador to the US.
“The President fondly recalled his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and their several interactions,” the Indian Embassy said in a statement.
Sandhu conveyed warm greetings from the President and the Prime Minister of India to Trump and the First Lady, the statement said.
Sandhu also added that the vision and guidance provided by Prime Minister Modi and President Trump in the last three years have moved India and the United States towards greater strategic convergence.
The Indian Ambassador affirmed his commitment to work towards strengthening strategic partnership between India and the US, which is anchored in mutual trust and friendship, democratic values and people-to-people ties, the media statement said.
“Extending my warmest welcome to @SandhuTaranjitS, India’s new Ambassador to the US. A strong champion of #USIndia ties, Amb. Sandhu’s proven record & deep experience augurs well for the future of our partnership. Welcome back to Washington! AGW,” Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells tweeted.
“Thank you Alice Wells. Looking forward to working together to further enhance India - US engagement!,” Sandhu tweeted.
One of the most experienced Indian diplomats on US affairs, Sandhu was Deputy Chief of Mission here from July 2013 to January 2017.
Earlier, he was First Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of India, Washington DC responsible for liaison with the United States Congress from 1997 to 2000. He has also been at the Permanent Mission of India to United Nations, New York from July 2005 to February 2009.
Born on 23 January 1963 in a family of educationists, Sandhu studied at The Lawrence School, Sanawar, and graduated from St. Stephens’ College, Delhi, with History Honors. He pursued a Master’s degree in International Relations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Sandhu is married to Reenat Sandhu, who is Ambassador of India to Italy.
In a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in the Indian Foreign Service since 1988, Sandhu started his diplomatic career from former Soviet Union (Russia) where he worked as Third Secretary (Political) / Second Secretary (Commercial) in the Indian Mission from 1990 to 1992.
Following the breakup of Soviet Union, he was sent to open a new Embassy in Ukraine. He served as Head of Political and Administration Wings in Indian Embassy in Kiev from 1992 to 1994.
Sandhu was Consul General of India in Frankfurt from September 2011 to July 2013. He has worked in the Ministry of External Affairs in various capacities: as Joint Secretary (United Nations) from March 2009 to August 2011; and later as Joint Secretary (Administration) heading the Human Resource Division.
He was Officer on Special Duty (Press Relations), Ministry of External Affairs from December 1995 to March 1997, and was responsible for liaison with foreign media in India.

J-K police continue verification drive of illegal Rohingyas
- The Jammu and Kashmir administration is also collecting biometric and other details of Rohingyas staying in the union territory.

From farms to mills, a long wait for UP farmers just to get sugarcane weighed
- Among those waiting at the weighing scale are also people who do not own land but are engaged in transporting sugarcane from farms to sugar mills after getting the yield measures at weighing scales.

News updates from HT: Amit Shah campaigns door-to-door in Kanyakumari
- Here are today’s top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

Covid-19: India's weekly tally rises over 114,000, daily fatalities average 100

When Mithun Chakraborty resigned from Rajya Sabha citing health reasons

Delhi among top 3 states with most contaminated sites in India

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to address Kisan Mahapanchyat in Meerut today

SP to hold cycle rally in support of Azam Khan over cases lodged by UP police
- In January, the Supreme Court dismissed pleas of the Uttar Pradesh government challenging the bail granted to Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan, his wife Dr Tanzeen Fathima, and son Abdullah Azam Khan in an alleged case of forging birth certificate.

Bombay HC refuses pre-arrest bail to judicial magistrate booked in bribery case
- An associate of the judicial magistrate allegedly demanded and accepted a bribe on her behalf for dismissing a criminal complaint against a milk vendor.

Omar Abdullah's swipe at Suvendu: 'Hasn't Kashmir become paradise after 2019?'

Called Modi ki dukan... buy medicine from there: PM launches Jan Aushadhi centre

Amit Shah visits Kerala as Vijayan govt battles to rid gold smuggling taint
- Earlier, the CM had hit out at BJP's minister of state for external affairs, V Muraleedharan, alleging after his elevation, smuggling from West Asian countries increased manifold

During PM Modi’s Kolkata rally, CM Banerjee will decry LPG price in Siliguri
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at the famous Brigade Parade Grounds in Maidan area is expected to draw a huge crowd.

India records 18,711 new cases of Covid-19, 100 deaths
