Vikram Doraiswami
Vikram Doraiswami | |
|---|---|
| High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom | |
| Assumed office 22 September 2022 | |
| President | Droupadi Murmu |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Gaitri Issar Kumar |
| High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh | |
| In office October 2020 – September 2022 | |
| President | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Riva Ganguly Das |
| Succeeded by | Pranay Kumar Verma |
| Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea | |
| In office April 2015 – July 2018 | |
| President | Pranab Mukherjee |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Vishnu Prakash |
| Succeeded by | Sripriya Ranganathan |
| Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan | |
| In office October 2014 – March 2015 | |
| President | Pranab Mukherjee |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | A. Gitesh Sarma |
| Succeeded by | Vinod Kumar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 July 1969 |
| Spouse | Sangeeta Doraiswami |
| Children | 1, Son |
| Alma mater | University of Delhi (M.A.) |
| Occupation | Indian Foreign Service |
| Profession | Diplomat |
| Rank | Secretary |
Vikram Kumar Doraiswami (born 11 July 1969) is an Indian diplomat of Indian Foreign Service who is currently serving as High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom.[1] Prior to this appointment, he was High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh and as an Indian Ambassador to Republic of Korea and Uzbekistan.
Early life and education
Doraiswami was born to a Tamil military family. His father was an Indian Air Force officer who fought in the Bangladesh Liberation war, a country to which Doraiswami eventually became High Commissioner.[2] He studied in schools all over India before eventually acquiring undergrad and graduate degrees in History at St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi. He worked for a year as a journalist at Business Today magazine while sitting for the Civil Services exam.
Diplomatic career
He joined the Indian Foreign Service as part of the 1992 batch. After his training completed from the LBSNAA and FSI, he was posted to the Commission of India in Hong Kong in May 1994 as Third Secretary. He studied Chinese by taking an elective diploma at the New Asia Yale-in-Asia Language School of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In September 1996, he was assigned to the Embassy of India in Beijing, where he served for almost four years.
After returning to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi in 2000, Mr. Doraiswami was appointed Deputy Chief of Protocol (Ceremonials). He served in this role for two years before being seconded to the Prime Minister’s Office in 2002, where he later held the position of Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and later Manmohan Singh.[3]
In 2006, Mr. Doraiswami was posted to the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York as Political Counsellor. In October 2009, he was appointed Consul General of India in Johannesburg, South Africa. In July 2011, he returned to the MEA in New Delhi as Head of the Division for the SAARC, a position he held until early October 2012. During this time, he also served as Coordinator for the Fourth BRICS Summit in New Delhi in March 2012. From October 2012 to October 2014, he was Joint Secretary of the Americas Division of the MEA.[4]
Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan
He was appointed Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan in October 2014.[5]
Ambassador of India to South Korea
on 13 April 2015, he was appointed as the Ambassador of India to South Korea in Seoul.[6]
High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh
He has served as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.[7][8] During his tenure, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh made a state visit to India from 5–8 September 2022, Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi signed a MoU on water sharing of the Kushiyara River, marking the first water-sharing agreement between the two countries since the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty of 1996. The two leaders also agreed to initiate negotiations for a CEPA to strengthen bilateral trade. The visit further emphasized improving transport and connectivity between India and Bangladesh, including railway enhancements and the development of sub-regional and trilateral highway projects involving India-Myanmar-Thailand connectivity.[9]
High Commssioner of India to the United Kingdom
In December 2022, Vikram Doraiswami presented his credentials as High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom to Charles III at Buckingham Palace, becoming the first Indian envoy to be received by the King following the death of Elizabeth II.[10][11]
Following the Pahalgam Terror attack in 2025, an interview by Doraiswami with Yalda Hakim on Sky News gained widespread attention, during which he discussed issues related to How Pakistan Armed Forces is sponsoring terrorism against India and in the world.[12][13][14]
During his tenure, Doraiswami also contributed to advancing bilateral trade and economic relations between India and the United Kingdom. These efforts culminated in the conclusion of a India–United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the two countries aimed at strengthening economic and commercial cooperation.[15][16][17][18][19][20]
Personal life
He is married to Sangeeta Doraiswami and they have one son.[21] Vikram Doraiswami's interests include reading, sports, fitness, travel and Jazz. He speaks Chinese, some French and Korean.
References
- ^ "Shri Vikram K. Doraiswami appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom". Ministry of External Affairs. Government of India. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "My father took part in Liberation War as pilot: Indian envoy". Bangla news. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Full text of "Gazette of India, 2004, No. 428"". Internet Archives. Government of India. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "How India's Top Diplomats Countered Pakistan's Narrative During Operation Sindoor". Indian Masterminds. 15 May 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Ambassador's Profile – Embassy of India, Seoul". Embassy of India, Seoul. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Vikram Kumar Doraiswami appointed as next Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan". UZ Daily. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "New Indian High Commissioner-designate to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami arrives". New Indian Express. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Vikram Doraiswami likely to become new Indian High Commissioner". Dhaka Tribune. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Sheikh Hasina has worked on commitment of zero tolerance for terrorism in Bangladesh: Indian envoy Vikram Doraiswami". ANI News. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Vikram Doraiswami takes charge as Indian High Commissioner to UK". India Today. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Indian High Commissioner presents credentials to King Charles". The Hindu. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India-Pakistan: Indian envoy's photo 'proof' of Pak-sponsored terror". NDTV. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India's high commissioner urges Pakistan to take 'off ramp'". YouTube. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India's high commissioner urges Pakistan to take 'off-ramp' in conflict". Sky News. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India-UK trade pact expected to come into force by first half of 2026: British envoy". The Economic Times. 2 January 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India-UK FTA may come into force soon: Official". The Times of India. 27 February 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India's Middle-Power Strategy Won It a Reprieve From Trump's Sky-High Tariffs". The Wall Street Journal. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India's middle-power strategy and tariff reprieve explained (summary)". LiveMint. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi seal UK-India trade deal". Financial Times. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India-UK FTA finalised 10 days ago, Vikram Doraiswami tells News18". News18. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "India in brief". Korea JoongAng Dail. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
External links