Devesh Uttam appointed as next Ambassador to Ethiopia
New Delhi, August 6
Devesh Uttam has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
Uttam, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2003, is presently Ambassador of India to Lithuania, and has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Ethiopia.
He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
As per the website of the Indian Embassy in Vilnius, Ambassador Uttam was Head of the Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. He was also in charge of the Office of the Central Authority for Extradition Matters.
His diplomatic assignments abroad included Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, Tehran; and Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York. While in New York, he was also elected to serve as a Member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) from 2013 to 2016.
He also served as India's representative on the Advisory Board of the UN Democracy Fund during his tenure in New York. Besides, he has also served in Indian Missions in Libya and Syria. He headed the Political and Commercial wings at the Embassy of India, Tripoli and the Culture and Information wing at the Embassy of India, Damascus
At the Ministry of External Affairs, besides Joint Secretary, CPV Division, he has served in different Capacities including Director (Administration) and Under Secretary / Deputy Secretary (Gulf).
Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, he served as Assistant Director General of Foreign Trade in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
He holds Master's and M.Phil. degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His area of research in M.Phil. was the "Eastern Enlargement of the European Union". The focus of the study was the cost-benefit analysis for new Member States joining the EU. He has also studied International Business at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi. He speaks Hindi, English and Arabic. He has also studied French and Sanskrit.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Ethiopia is an important partner for India in Africa, especially in areas like agriculture, education, and technology. Having someone with such a strong background in multilateral diplomacy is a good move. Wishing him success!
Interesting profile. The fact that he speaks Arabic and has served in West Asia and North Africa will definitely help him in Addis Ababa, given the regional dynamics. Solid appointment by the MEA.
This is quite a career journey—from handling visas to heading a mission and now to Ethiopia. I hope he focuses on strengthening trade ties and the Indian diaspora community there. Good luck! 🍀
I hope the appointment brings more clarity on the India-Africa cooperation projects. We have a lot of goodwill in Ethiopia from the Pan-African e-network and other initiatives. The new ambassador has big shoes to fill. All the best!
Impressive resume indeed. Though I wish the MEA would rotate more quickly—our missions abroad often see ambassadors come and go too fast to build lasting rapport. Hope he stays long enough to complete key projects. 🧐
Good to see Indian Foreign Service officers with such diverse roles—from consular work to UN committees. This is the
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