[By Devansh Desai Mumbai Samachar Desk]
India has proposed senior diplomat Sudhakar Dalela as its next ambassador to Nepal and has formally sought Kathmandu’s agreement for the appointment. New Delhi conveyed the proposal on Tuesday, sources told Mumbai Samachar.
Dalela, a 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently Secretary for Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs and also serves as India’s Sherpa for BRICS.
Agrément required before he can take up the post
The nomination follows the end of the tenure of the present envoy, Naveen Srivastava. Under standard diplomatic practice, Dalela can take up the post only after Nepal grants agrément, the formal consent required before an ambassador is appointed.
Extensive experience in the neighbourhood
Dalela has wide experience of India’s neighbourhood. He was India’s ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025. Earlier, as Joint Secretary (North) in the external affairs ministry between 2016 and 2019, he oversaw relations with both Bhutan and Nepal. He also handled the Bhutan desk as director earlier in his career, and served in the Prime Minister’s Office from 2009 to 2011, focusing on South Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific.
His other postings include Tel Aviv, Brasília, Chicago, Geneva, Dhaka and Washington.
Economic diplomacy and BRICS role
As Secretary (Economic Relations) since September 2025, Dalela has handled India’s economic diplomacy, development partnerships and multilateral economic relations. He chaired the first Sherpa meeting under India’s 2026 BRICS chairship in New Delhi in February.
Neither government has publicly confirmed a date for Dalela’s arrival. The appointment will take effect only after agrément is granted and credentials are presented in Kathmandu.