Kathmandu, Nepal: India has proposed Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs, as its next ambassador to Nepal, according to sources at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has forwarded Dalela’s name to the Nepali government for agrément, the formal approval required from the host country before an ambassador is appointed. His appointment will be formalised after Nepal grants its approval.
Multiple sources said India sent Dalela’s name to Nepal on Tuesday. He is expected to assume office in Kathmandu after the approval process is completed.
The post of Indian ambassador to Nepal became vacant after Naveen Srivastava completed his tenure and returned to New Delhi recently.
Dalela’s proposed appointment is notable because India has generally appointed Additional Secretary-level diplomats to head its mission in Kathmandu in recent years. By proposing a serving Secretary-level official, New Delhi has chosen a diplomat of a higher administrative rank than those appointed under the recent practice.
The decision has attracted attention in diplomatic circles in Kathmandu. However, the appointment by itself does not necessarily indicate a change in India’s Nepal policy. Its significance will also depend on the priorities the two governments pursue and the manner in which bilateral issues are handled.
Dalela has considerable experience in dealing with Nepal and Bhutan. He served as Director (North) at the Ministry of External Affairs from 2006 to 2007 and later as Joint Secretary (North) from 2016 to 2019. The division deals with India’s relations with Nepal and Bhutan.
He also served as India’s ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025. Dalela and outgoing ambassador Srivastava are from the same Indian Foreign Service batch.
There had earlier been speculation that New Delhi could appoint a political figure as its envoy to Kathmandu, particularly after Nepal began appointing political figures to head its mission in New Delhi. The proposal of Dalela, a senior career diplomat, has put those expectations to rest for now.
Nepal has nominated Dr Nishchal Nath Pandey as its ambassador to India. Pandey is currently undergoing a parliamentary hearing before his appointment is completed and Nepal seeks agrément 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, where he worked on India’s relations 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 experience in trade and economic policy as well. 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 this position, he oversees India’s economic diplomacy, development partnerships with countries in the Global South, engagement with Africa, multilateral economic relations and cooperation in emerging strategic technologies.
His proposed appointment comes at a time when Nepal-India relations involve a wide range of issues, including trade, energy, connectivity, infrastructure and development cooperation. His previous experience with Nepal and his current responsibility for economic relations could be relevant to these areas of bilateral engagement.
The appointment will be completed once Nepal grants agrément. Until then, Dalela remains Secretary (Economic Relations) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and his nomination should be viewed as a proposed appointment rather than a completed one.
