Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Born in Delhi, India 15 February 1952, educated University of Delhi, BA (Hons) History, First in order of Merit in 1971, MA(History) 1973 First Division. Prime Minister, Hindu College Parliament. Keen debater.
Joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1974. During a career spanning 39 years, served in senior positions at the Ministries of External Affairs and Defence. Held Ambassadorial level assignments in London and Brasilia and served as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in Geneva and New York. Earlier served in India’s Missions in Tokyo, and Colombo.
Extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, served on three occasions as a member of India’s Delegation to the GATT/United Nations in Geneva including as Ambassador and Permanent Representative from 2002 to 2005.
Long association with and specialization in trade-related matters and served on several Dispute Settlement Panels of the GATT and WTO.
Served at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, as Under Secretary in the early 1980s, as Director and Chef de Cabinet to the Foreign Secretary in the early 1990s, as Joint Secretary of the Americas and Europe West Divisions and on deputation to the Ministry of Defence in the 1990s.
Permanent Secretary dealing with economic relations in the Ministry of External Affairs from June 2008 to April 2009, before joining as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York on 4 May, 2009.
President of the United Nations Security Council in August 2011 and November 2012. Chairman of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2011-2012.
Retired from the Indian Foreign Service on 28 February, 2013 and joined the International Peace Institute (IPI), New York, a non-profit think tank with headquarters in New York and offices in Vienna and Manama. Senior Adviser from June to December 2013.Vice-President of the IPI and Secretary General of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM).Left the IPI on 31 March 2016.
Authored 'Perilous Interventions' -The Security Council and The Politics of Chaos, Harper Collins, September 2016. The book is already in its third print. Delivered public lecture on India and the Western Liberal Democratic Order at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library on 23 January 2017. Published India's Trade Policy Dilemma and the Role of Domestic Reform. Carnegie India, February 2017
Appointed President of the Governing Body and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS).
In May 2019, he became the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs and Civil Aviation and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
In July 2021, he became Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs.
In June 2024, he again became Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.