Periasamy Kumaran Named India’s High Commissioner to the UK
Why in the news
The government appointed Periasamy Kumaran as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He was serving as Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs; the appointment was reported on 26-27 March 2026.
Key facts
- New post: High Commissioner of India to the UK.
- Previous post: Secretary (East), MEA, from April 2025.
- Predecessor: Vikram Doraiswami, reported as reassigned as India’s Ambassador to China.
- Service: Indian Foreign Service, 1992 batch.
| Posting | Period |
|---|---|
| Third Secretary, Cairo | 1994-1997 |
| Deputy High Commissioner, Colombo | 2011-2014 |
| Ambassador to Qatar | 2016-2020 |
| High Commissioner to Singapore | 2020-2023 |
| Secretary (East), MEA | 2025-2026 |
About the person
Kumaran was born on 23 January 1969 and holds a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from IIT Madras. He has also served in Tripoli, Brussels, Islamabad and Washington, and as Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa) in New Delhi.
Exam angle
- Diplomatic appointments: note old post, new post and predecessor.
- In Commonwealth countries, India’s envoy is called a High Commissioner, not an Ambassador.
- Secretary (East) in the MEA handles India’s relations with East and South-East Asia.