The government on Wednesday gave foreign secretary Vikram Misri a one-year extension in service till July 2027, signalling a desire for continuity as the country navigates intense geopolitical churn on the global stage.
According to an official notification, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved an extension of Misri's service by one year till July 14, 2027. Misri, 61, had been set to complete his term in mid-July.
Misri, an officer of the 1989 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) who has the rare distinction of serving as private secretary to three prime ministers, took on the role of foreign secretary on July 15, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the deputy national security adviser from January 2022 to July 2024.
He replaced Vinay Kwatra, who was given a six-month extension as foreign secretary and was subsequently appointed ambassador to the US.
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As ambassador to Beijing during 2019-2021, Misri played a crucial role in contacts with the Chinese government after the start of the military standoff in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in May 2020. A brutal clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops were killed, had taken bilateral ties to a six-decade low.
{{/usCountry}}As ambassador to Beijing during 2019-2021, Misri played a crucial role in contacts with the Chinese government after the start of the military standoff in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in May 2020. A brutal clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops were killed, had taken bilateral ties to a six-decade low.
{{/usCountry}}As foreign secretary, he played a role in engagements with China that led to the understanding in October 2024 to end the face-off on the LAC.
Misri also served as India’s ambassador to Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018). He served as private secretary to prime minister I.K. Gujral (1997-1998), prime minister Manmohan Singh (2012-2014) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (May to July 2014).
He has also had stints in Indian missions in Belgium, Pakistan, the US, Sri Lanka and Germany.