India Appoints Senior Diplomat Sudhakar Dalela as New Ambassador to Nepal

KATHMANDU – India on Friday appointed senior diplomat Sudhakar Dalela as its new ambassador to Nepal.

Dalela, who has served as India’s ambassador to Bhutan and handled Nepal-Bhutan affairs at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, is expected to take up his new responsibility soon.

A 1993-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, Dalela currently serves as a secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs. According to a press release issued by the Government of India on Friday, he will soon assume the post of ambassador to Nepal.

He will replace Naveen Srivastava, who took charge as India’s ambassador to Nepal on June 25, 2022. Srivastava has spent more than four years in Kathmandu. During his tenure, relations between the two countries deepened in the areas of connectivity, cross-border energy cooperation and economic partnership.

Dalela’s appointment is considered significant. He previously handled Nepal and Bhutan affairs at the Ministry of External Affairs. He has also worked in the Prime Minister’s Office of India and has experience in international trade negotiations. His diplomatic experience includes postings in Bhutan, Bangladesh, the United States, Israel and other countries.