Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who was India’s previous ambassador to the United States, has been appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in a major reshuffle of governors and Lieutenant Governors across various states and union territories ahead of elections in these areas.
A veteran diplomat, Sandhu has had a long and illustrious career in the Indian Foreign Service, spanning more than three decades, in which he has left his mark on India’s relations with the United States, particularly, and international relations in general.
Who is Taranjit Singh Sandhu?
Born on January 23, 1963, Taranjit Singh Sandhu hails from a family of educators. Sandhu completed his schooling at The Lawrence School, Sanawar, a prestigious school in India known for its residential facilities.
He completed his Bachelor of Arts in History (Honours) at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, before going on to study International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, where he completed his Master’s course.
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Entry into the Indian Foreign Service
His career in the Indian Foreign Service began in 1988, with early assignments related to the Soviet region. Sandhu functioned as Third Secretary (Political) and then Second Secretary (Commercial) at the Indian Mission in Moscow between 1990 and 1992.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Sandhu shifted to Ukraine, which had gained independence. Sandhu was based in Kyiv, Ukraine, from 1992 to 1994, heading the Political Wing as well as the Administration Wing at the Indian Embassy.
Key diplomatic postings
Throughout his career, Sandhu held important positions at the country’s foreign missions. Sandhu functioned as First Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., between 1997 and 2000, overseeing the relationship between the Indian Embassy and the US Congress.
He also functioned as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., between July 2013 and January 2017. Sandhu functioned at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York between 2005 and 2009. Sandhu functioned as the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka between January 2017 and January 2020. Sandhu functioned as Head of the Political Wing at the Indian High Commission in Colombo between December 2000 and September 2004.
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Ambassador to the United States
Taranjit Singh Sandhu was in charge of India’s mission in Washington as the ambassador from February 2020 to January 2024, a time when the Covid-19 crisis was escalating, and the administration in the US changed. He was in charge of the groundwork and the negotiations leading to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in 2023.
Mr Sandhu is married to Reenat Sandhu, a senior Indian Foreign Service official currently appointed as the ambassador to the Netherlands. The couple has two children.
