Venu Rajamony

Venu Rajamony
Officer on Special Duty (External Cooperation) to the State Government of Kerala
In office
17 September 2021 – 16 September 2023
Ambassador of India to the Netherlands
In office
8 May 2017 – 2020
Preceded byJ.S. Mukul
Succeeded byPradeep Kumar Rawat
Press Secretary, President of India
In office
2012–2017
PresidentPranab Mukherjee
Consul General of India to Dubai
In office
2007–2010
Preceded byY.K. Sinha
Succeeded bySanjay Verma
Personal details
Born (1960-11-12) 12 November 1960
Alma materMahatma Gandhi University, Kerala
Jawaharlal Nehru University
OccupationDiplomat IFS
Websitewww.venurajamony.com

Venu Rajamony (born 12 November 1960) is an Indian diplomat and professor affiliated with the Indian Foreign Service. He serves as Chairman of the Future Kerala Mission and Principal Advisor at Jain University.[1] He teaches Diplomatic Practice at the Jindal Global Law School of the O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana.[2] On September 17, 2021, he assumed the role of Officer on Special Duty for External Cooperation in the Government of Kerala, holding the rank of Chief Secretary with an office at Kerala House, New Delhi. He declined to continue his service with the State Government on completion of two years for reasons unknown.[3] He held the position of Ambassador of India to the Netherlands from 2017 to 2020.[4][5][6][7] He also served as the Permanent Representative of India to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, overseeing India’s relations with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

He was Press Secretary to the President of India during the tenure of President Pranab Mukherjee from 2012 to 2017.[8]

Early life and education

Venu Rajamony was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala into a Tamil Brahmin family with a background in public life. His father K.S. Rajamony belongs to Mavelikara and was a senior advocate who practised law in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi for over four decades. [9] He was amongst the founders of the Kerala People's Arts Club and later served as a member of the Kerala Public Men’s Corruption Commission (subsequently the Kerala Lokayukta).[10] His mother Seetha belongs to Thiruvanantapuram and was an active member of the Rotary and Inner wheel Club of the city. His paternal grandfather, S. Kulathu Iyer served for several years as Municipal Chairman of Mavelikara and was state President of the Kerala Brahmana Sabha.[11] His maternal grandfather, S. Nilakanta Iyer was a leading lawyer of Thiruvanantapuram and a legislator in the assembly of the Travancore Kochi state.[12]

He subsequently pursued a pre-degree course at Maharajas College, Ernakulam (1976–1978) and graduated from there in 1981 with a BA in Politics. He was elected as Chairman of the Maharaja's College Students' Union during 1980–81 under the panel of Kerala Students Union.[13]

Moving to New Delhi to pursue a Master's degree in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he served as Vice President of the Students' Union there during 1981 and 1982.[14] Later, he earned an LLB degree from Ernakulam Law College, Mahatma Gandhi University (1983–1986).

Fluent in the Chinese language, Rajamony is also proficient in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, and French. Rajamony also holds a Certificate in Chinese Language from the University of Hong Kong.[15]

He is married to Saroj Thapa,[16] an education professional, and they have two children, Vasanth and Karthik.[17]

Early career

He began his career as a journalist with the Indian Express, Kochi, in 1983. He cleared the Indian Foreign Service exam in 1986 at University College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Dipomatic career

While serving as Consul General of India in Dubai from 2007 to 2010, Rajamony initiated several measures for the welfare of the two million-strong Indian community there and to enhance trade and investment between the UAE and India.[18]

During his tenure in the Netherlands, Rajamony represented India before the ICJ in The Hague in the case of "Advisory Opinion concerning the Legal Consequences of the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius."[19][20] He was part of the Indian delegation before the ICJ in the Jadhav case (India Vs. Pakistan)[21][22] and served as Co-Agent of India in the Enrica Lexie incident case (Italy Vs. India)[23] before the PCA.[24] Additionally, he led the Indian delegation to various sessions of the Conference of States Parties and Executive Council of the OPCW.[25]

Post-diplomatic career

In September 2021, Rajamony was appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for External Cooperation in the Government of Kerala, with the rank of Chief Secretary. [26] In this role, he coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs, foreign missions in India, and Indian diplomatic missions abroad, particularly on issues concerning the Kerala diaspora. His responsibilities included exploring opportunities for external cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, education, skill development, and culture, and assisting the state government in its interactions with foreign officials and visiting business delegations. He resigned from the position in September 2023 following differences with the state government. [27]

He is a Professor of Diplomatic Practice at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana. [28]

In addition to his role at Jindal Global Law School, in December 2024, Rajamony was appointed K.P.S. Menon Chair Professor for Diplomatic Studies at the School of International Relations and Politics, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. [29]

In April 2025, Rajamony was appointed Chairman of the Future Kerala Mission, an initiative launched by Kochi Jain University aimed at promoting industry-linked education, entrepreneurship, employment generation, and socially responsible development in Kerala. He also serves as Principal Advisor to the university. [30]

He is also the President of the Maharaja’s College Old Students Association. [31]

Literary career

  • India-China-US Triangle: A Soft Balance of Power in the Making, monograph published during his fellowship at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, from 2001 to 2002
  • India and the UAE: In Celebration of a Legendary Friendship, Lustre Publications, 2008, ISBN 978-1860632808[32]
  • India and The Netherlands – Past, Present and Future, Bombay Ink, 2019, ISBN 978-9090321011[33]
  • What We Can Learn From The Dutch – Rebuilding Kerala Post 2018 Floods, DC Books, 2019, ISBN 978-9352825929[34]
  • Select Paintings of Rashtrapati Bhavan (Portfolio), Lalit Kala Akademi, 2016, ISBN 978-8187507659
  • Company Paintings in Rashtrapati Bhavan (Portfolio), Lalit Kala Akademi, 2016, ISBN 978-8187507642
  • Paintings in the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan (Portfolio), Lalit Kala Akademi, 2016, ISBN 978-8187507635

References

  1. ^ "Kochi Jain University unveils 'Future Kerala Mission', Venu Rajamony appointed as Chairman". Mathrubhumi (English). 6 April 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Prof. Venu Rajamony". Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Venu Rajamony declines two-week extension, steps down as OSD (External Cooperation)". The Hindu. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  4. ^ "Venu Rajamony Appointed Indian Ambassador To Netherlands". NDTV. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Venu Rajamony appointed as next Ambassador of India to Kingdom of Netherlands". Business Standard. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Venu Rajamony to be India's next Ambassador to the Netherlands". UNI India. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Venu Rajamony appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Venu Rajamony is Press Secretary to President". The New Indian Express. 28 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Speech delivered by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of the 6th K. S. Rajamony Memorial Lecture". President of India. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Address at the 6th K.S. Rajamony Memorial Lecture at Le Meridien, Kochi at 1715 hrs on 02-03-2017". Raj Bhavan Kerala. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Our History". Kerala Brahmana Sabha. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  12. ^ "S. Neelakanta Iyer vs State Of Kerala on 12 January, 1960". Indian Kanoon. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  13. ^ "KSU wins chairman's post in Maharaja's College". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
  14. ^ "Love knows no borders, or ask this ex-diplomat from Kerala!". The New Indian Express. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  15. ^ "Trip down memory lane". New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  16. ^ "He Was From Kochi, She From Darjeeling: They Overcame Distance & Are Happily Married For 35 Yrs". IndiaTimes. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  17. ^ "The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee meeting with Smt. & Shri Venu Rajamony, Press Secretary to the President along with their son Shri Kartik Venu, during a farewell call, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 27, 2017". Digital Photo Library, Rashtrapati Bhavan. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Time to move on for India's top men". The National. 2010-01-24. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  19. ^ "India backs Mauritius: Chagos Archipelago has been part of the Mauritian territory, India tells ICJ". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  20. ^ Scroll Staff (6 September 2018). "India supports Mauritius' claim to disputed Chagos islands controlled by Britain". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  21. ^ "'Was confident of a positive verdict at ICJ in Jadhav case' | Kochi News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. Jul 25, 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  22. ^ "Venu Rajamony Interview |Venu Rajamony to play a vital role in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  23. ^ "Cases | PCA-CPA". pca-cpa.org. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  24. ^ "The Enrica Lexie Incident, Award, 21 May 2020". Jus Mundi. 2020-07-02.
  25. ^ "India is against use of chemical weapons: Venu Rajamony". The Hindu. PTI. 2018-06-27. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  26. ^ "Former diplomat Venu Rajamony appointed Kerala govt's OSD for External Cooperation". Onmanorama. 16 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Venu Rajamony declines two-week extension, steps down as OSD (External Cooperation)". The Hindu. 16 September 2023.
  28. ^ "Former diplomat Venu Rajamony joins Jindal University as professor". Rediff.com. 2 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Venu Rajamony appointed KPS Menon Chair Professor at MGU". The Hindu.com. 10 December 2024.
  30. ^ "Kochi Jain University launches 'Future Kerala Mission'; Venu Rajamony appointed as chairman". Onmanorama. 7 April 2025.
  31. ^ "Venu Rajamony deplores attitude of Maharaja's College management". The Hindu. 23 June 2025.
  32. ^ "Venu Rajamony book: India and the UAE; In celebration of a legendary friendship". India Today. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  33. ^ "Book on India-Netherlands relationship presented to Dutch King". The Week. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  34. ^ "Rajamony's book provides perspective to rebuild Kerala after floods". Outlook India. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
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