KATHMANDU, Oct 7: India has proposed Foreign Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela as its next ambassador to Nepal, according to sources at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has sent Dalela’s name to the Nepali government for agrément, the formal approval required from a host country before an ambassador can be appointed. His appointment will be formalised after Nepal grants its approval.
Multiple sources confirmed that India forwarded Dalela’s name on Tuesday. He is expected to assume office in Kathmandu soon after receiving Nepal’s approval. India does not have a parliamentary hearing process for the appointment of its ambassadors.
The post has been vacant since Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava completed his tenure and returned to New Delhi a few days ago.
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India has traditionally appointed diplomats at the additional secretary level to head its mission in Kathmandu. The decision to send a secretary-rank diplomat is being viewed by analysts as an indication of the additional importance New Delhi attaches to its relations with Nepal in recent years.
Dalela has five years of experience handling the Nepal desk in the Ministry of External Affairs and previously served as India’s ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025. He is also a batchmate of outgoing ambassador Srivastava.
There had earlier been speculation that New Delhi could appoint a political figure as its envoy to Kathmandu, particularly as Nepal has been appointing political figures to head its mission in New Delhi.
Nepal has already nominated Dr Nishchal Nath Pandey as its ambassador to India. Dr Pandey is currently undergoing a parliamentary hearing before his appointment is finalised and agrément is sought from the Indian side.
Dalela joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1993 and began his diplomatic career in Tel Aviv. He has since served at Indian missions in Brasilia, Chicago, Dhaka, Geneva, Thimphu and Washington, D.C.
In New Delhi, he served as a director in the Prime Minister’s Office from 2009 to 2011, focusing on India’s engagement with South Asian neighbours, East Asia, the Indo-Pacific, the Gulf, the Middle East and Africa. He also served as Director (North) from 2006 to 2007 and later as Joint Secretary (North) at the Ministry of External Affairs from 2016 to 2019, overseeing India’s relations with Bhutan and Nepal.
Dalela has extensive experience in trade and economic policy. He served as Director (Trade Policy) in the Department of Commerce and held two assignments at India’s Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization, including as Deputy Permanent Representative from 2014 to 2016.
He has also served in several positions in the United States, including as India’s Consul General in Chicago, Minister for Political Affairs at the embassy in Washington from 2011 to 2014, and Deputy Chief of Mission from 2020 to 2022.
Dalela took charge as Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs on September 1, 2025. In that role, he oversees India’s economic diplomacy, development partnerships with countries in the Global South, engagement with Africa, multilateral economic relations, and cooperation on emerging strategic technologies. He also serves as India’s Sherpa for BRICS, IBSA and I2U2.
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