Periasamy Kumaran will take over as High Commissioner to the UK, asVikram Doraiswami has been appointed envoy to Beijing….reports Asian Lite News
India is set to appoint Periasamy Kumaran as its next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, after Vikram Doraiswami has taken over as India’s Ambassador to China.
The appointment comes at a time when India-UK ties continue to deepen across trade, technology, education and security, with both sides seeking to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Born on 23 January 1969, Kumaran is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where he earned a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering, before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1992.
Kumaran, a 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Over the years, he has served in key postings spanning West Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and South Asia, giving him a broad understanding of India’s global priorities and foreign policy challenges.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Kumaran has held a range of assignments both in India and abroad. His early postings included Cairo, where he served as Third Secretary between 1994 and 1997 and studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo. He was later posted to Tripoli, Libya, serving as Second Secretary and then First Secretary from 1997 to 2000.
He subsequently moved to Brussels as First Secretary at the Indian Embassy from 2000 to 2003. On returning to New Delhi, he served as Director in the Western Europe Division of the Ministry of External Affairs from 2003 to 2005.
Between 2005 and 2007, Kumaran worked as Passport Officer in Bengaluru before being posted to Pakistan as Counsellor at the Indian High Commission from 2007 to 2009. He then moved to Washington DC, where he served as Counsellor at the Indian Embassy from 2009 to 2011.
From 2011 to 2014, Kumaran was Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. He later returned to the Ministry of External Affairs as Joint Secretary in the Consular, Passport and Visa Division, a position he held from 2014 to 2016.
Kumaran went on to serve as India’s Ambassador to Qatar from 2016 to 2020. He was appointed High Commissioner to Singapore in May 2020 and served in that role until July 2023, presenting his credentials in August 2020.
His move to London comes amid evolving global dynamics, with India seeking stronger partnerships in Europe while balancing strategic interests in Asia and beyond. As High Commissioner, Kumaran will be tasked with advancing cooperation in trade negotiations, innovation, defence and people-to-people ties, all while navigating the complexities of a rapidly shifting international landscape.
