NEW DELHI — As geopolitical tensions escalate across West Asia and the Gulf, veteran Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Sripriya Ranganathan is leading the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) efforts to safeguard Indian nationals abroad.
Having assumed charge as Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs) on January 5, 2026, Ranganathan oversees global consular operations and diaspora welfare. In response to the deteriorating security situation in the Gulf, she recently convened high-level coordination meetings with Chief Secretaries across Indian states and Union Territories to streamline emergency assistance for affected citizens.
A 1994-batch IFS officer with more than 25 years of diplomatic service, Ranganathan returned to New Delhi in March 2025 as Additional Secretary (Administration). Prior to her return, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC—including a six-month tenure as Chargé d’Affaires—and as India’s Ambassador to South Korea from 2018 to 2022. Her earlier overseas postings include Ankara, Hong Kong, and Yangon.
Within the MEA headquarters, Ranganathan has headed the Bangladesh and Myanmar, SAARC, and Policy Planning divisions, alongside handling portfolios in international security, disarmament, and trade negotiations. Outside her core diplomatic responsibilities, she remains an active advocate for women’s leadership and empowerment.
