Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi.
Credit: X/@MukteshPardeshi
New Delhi: Seasoned diplomat Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi has been appointed as India's new ambassador to Turkiye -- a country that has emerged as an influential player in the resolution of regional conflicts, including in the Middle-East.
Pardeshi, a 1991-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as a secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the MEA said in a brief statement.
Pardeshi was a key member of a group of top officials who played a key role in India's successful hosting of the G20 Summit in September last year, including managing to produce a leaders' declaration overcoming deep divisions over the Ukraine conflict.
The post of India's ambassador to Turkiye has been lying vacant since June after the demise of incumbent Virander Paul following prolonged illness.
As Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the MEA, Pardeshi initiated various measures to assist Indians living in the Middle-East as well as boost people-to-people ties with the region.
From July 2019 to July 2022, he was India's high commissioner to New Zealand. He was also concurrently accredited as the high commissioner to Samoa, Vanuatu, Niue and the Cook Islands.
Pardeshi served as the ambassador to Mexico from April 2016 to June 2019.
During his tenure, the India-Mexico 'Privileged Partnership' saw huge advancement as bilateral trade increased from USD 5.9 billion in 2015 to USD 10.15 billion in 2018, registering a 75 per cent growth over a three-year period.
At the MEA's headquarters in Delhi, Pardeshi was the joint secretary and chief passport officer during 2010-16.
In this role, he was credited with implementing the government's priority to transform passport services as the issuance of passports doubled from six million to 12 million during that period.
As the 'mission leader' of the 'Passport Seva Project', he received numerous awards, including the prestigious national award on e-Governance (Gold) 2014-15 and the Web Ratna (Platinum) award 2014.
In a diplomatic career spanning over three decades, Pardeshi has served in several Indian missions, including in Jakarta (2007-10) and as a counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva (2004-07).
He studied at the University of Delhi and obtained his Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from Hindu College and Delhi School of Economics respectively (both with first position in the university).