India on Thursday named senior diplomat Periasamy Kumaran, currently the secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, as its new high commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Kumaran, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1992 and has served in Egypt, Belgium, Pakistan, Qatar, and Singapore, will replace Vikram Doraiswami in London. Doraiswami was recently appointed ambassador to China.
Kumaran, who holds a BTech in electronics and communication from IIT-Madras, served as ambassador to Qatar during 2016–2020 and as high commissioner to Singapore during 2020–2023. In July 2023, he assumed charge as additional secretary (economic relations) and was later promoted to special secretary in the same division. He took over as secretary (East) in April 2025.
Among his other overseas assignments were stints as counsellor in the high commission in Pakistan during 2007–2009, counsellor in the embassy in the US during 2009–2011, and deputy high commissioner at the high commission in Sri Lanka during 2011–2014.