Pranay Kumar Verma, presently Ambassador of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs made the announcement on Friday.  Verma is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Verma joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1994 and has held diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Beijing, Kathmandu and Washington DC. Before arriving in Hanoi, Verma served as the Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi since June 2017.  Read: Indian HC condoles Muhith's death Earlier, he also served as the Joint Secretary for external relations at the Department of Atomic Energy looking after India’s nuclear diplomacy. Verma has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, he started his professional career at India’s steel manufacturing company, Tata Steel.  He also holds a Master’s degree in the Chinese language from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, California, U.S. He assumed the office of Ambassador of India to Vietnam on 25 July 2019.

Sudhakar Dalela, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1993, is likely to be the next high commissioner of India to Bangladesh. Though there is no official announcement yet, the Hindustan Times on Saturday reported that Dalela will replace current Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami. Doraiswami, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1992, is expected to take over as Indian envoy to the United Kingdom, said the Indian media outlet. Also read: UN maintains strong relationship with Bangladesh: Brandt Doraiswami assumed charge as the high commissioner of India to Bangladesh on October 5, 2020. Dalela, currently Deputy Chief of Mission at Indian Embassy in Washington DC, has served in critical roles in New Delhi, including Director in the Prime Minister’s Office, focusing on India's engagement with its South Asian neighbors, China, and countries in the Indo-Pacific region, Gulf, Middle East, Africa, and as Joint Secretary (North), overseeing India’s relations with Bhutan and Nepal. This is his third assignment in the United States; he previously served as Minister (Political Affairs) at the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C., and most recently as India's Consul General in Chicago. He brings a wealth of experience in trade and economic policy to his role, having served twice at the Permanent Mission of India to the WTO, including as India's Deputy Permanent Representative. Also read: Colombo Port offers special berthing facilities to Bangladeshi vessels Before joining the Foreign Service, Dalela earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering. He is married to Namrata, who is a textile conservator, and they have a daughter and son.

Vikram Doraiswami, Additional Secretary in charge of International Organisations and Summits at the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is likely to be the next Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, reports Hindustan Times.