Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: India has proposed Sudhakar Dalela, secretary (economic relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs, as its next ambassador to Nepal.
A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Himal Press over the phone that India has sent Dalela’s name to Nepal for agréement.
Dalela is currently the second-most senior secretary at India’s Ministry of External Affairs after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
There had been speculation in the Indian media that New Delhi could appoint a political figure as its envoy to Nepal, following its decision to send a political appointee to Bangladesh. The southern neighbor has instead proposed a career diplomat for Kathmandu to succeed Naveen Srivastava.
Dalela joined the Indian foreign service in 1993 and began his diplomatic career in Tel Aviv, Israel. He has since served at Indian missions in Brasilia, Chicago, Dhaka, Geneva, Thimphu and Washington, DC. He served as India’s ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025.
He has extensive experience in trade and economic policy. As secretary (economic relations), Dalela handles India’s economic diplomacy, development partnerships with countries in the Global South, partnerships with Africa, multilateral economic relations, and new and emerging strategic technologies. He is also India’s Sherpa for BRICS, IBSA and I2U2.
