The government appointed on Thursday Indian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Navtej Sarna, as the country’s new ambassador to the United States.
A 1980-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Sarna will take over from Arun Kumar Singh, who has retired from the service.
“Navtej Singh Sarna (IFS: 1980) has been appointed as the next ambassador of India to the United State of America. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” external affairs ministry said.
Sarna, who has authored several books, fiction as well as non-fiction, had succeeded Ranjan Mathai as India’s envoy to the UK.
The 59-year-old career diplomat served as the ministry’s spokesperson from 2002 to 2008, the longest anyone has served the MEA in that capacity. He then headed for Tel Aviv, serving as India’s ambassador to Israel till 2012.
For two years from August 2012, Sarna served as additional secretary in-charge of international organisations.