Nirupama Rao became ambassador of India to the United States on Sept. 9, 2011, having most recently served as India's foreign secretary since 2009.

Rao — who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1973 — also previously served in Washington, D.C., as minister in charge of press affairs at the Indian Embassy from 1993 to 1995. In addition, she has had extensive experience in India-China relations, having served in the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs from 1984 to 1992, including as Joint Secretary of East Asia.

Other postings including ambassador to Peru with concurrent accreditation to Bolivia (1995-98), deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy in Moscow (1998-99), the first woman spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (2001-02), and head of the Administration and Personnel Division of the Ministry of External Affairs as additional secretary (2002-04).

Rao was also a fellow at the Centre for International Affairs (now the Weatherhead Centre) of Harvard University from 1992 to 1993, and a distinguished international executive in residence at the University of Maryland in College Park from 1999 to 2000.

She is married to Shri Sudhakar Rao, a former member of the Indian Administrative Service who retired as chief secretary of the government of Karnataka, and they have two sons, Nikhilesh and Kartikeya.

Contact Information

Embassy of India
2107 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008

Phone: (202) 939-7000
Fax: (202) 483-3972

Website: http://www.indianembassy.org/newsite/default.asp

Last Edited on September 23, 2011