India’s former ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, has been appointed Lieutenant Governor of Delhi as part of a major reshuffle of governors and lieutenant governors across nine states and union territories, ahead of key upcoming elections.
At the same time, the current Delhi Lt Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, has been named Lt Governor of Ladakh, following the earlier resignation of Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta.
He had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar in 2024 on a BJP ticket.
Who is Taranjit Singh Sandhu?
Sandhu, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was one of the most experienced Indian diplomats on United States affairs. He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., from July 2013 to January 2017, and earlier served as First Secretary (Political) there from 1997 to 2000, handling liaison with the U.S. Congress.
Additionally, he was posted at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from July 2005 to February 2009.
His most notable assignment was serving as India’s Ambassador to the United States from February 2020 to January 2024. During this period, he navigated the Covid-19 pandemic, a change in the U.S. administration, and notably oversaw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. in 2023.
Early education
Taranjit Singh Sandhu was born on 23 January 1963 into a family of educationists. He attended The Lawrence School, Sanawar, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in History (Honors) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He later completed a Master’s in International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, according to the official website of the Indian Embassy, US.
Sandhu’s diplomatic career
In a career spanning over thirty years in the Indian Foreign Service since 1988, Sandhu started his diplomatic career from the former Soviet Union (Russia), where he worked as Third Secretary (Political) / Second Secretary (Commercial) in the Indian Mission from 1990 to 1992.
Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, he was sent to open a new Embassy in Ukraine. He served as Head of Political and Administration Wings in the Indian Embassy in Kyiv from 1992 to 1994, according to the official website of the Indian Embassy in the US.
Before his current assignment in Washington DC, Sandhu was High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka from January 2017 to January 2020. He had also served at the High Commission of India, Colombo, earlier as the Head of the Political Wing from December 2000 to September 2004.
Sandhu is married to Reenat Sandhu, who is a senior officer in the Indian Foreign Service and currently Ambassador of India to the Netherlands. They have two children.
In November 2023, Taranjit Singh Sandhu experienced a tense encounter at the Hicksville Gurdwara in Long Island, New York, where he had gone to attend Gurpurab prayers.
A video that circulated on social media shows him being confronted by extremists who were expressing support for Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, both designated as terrorists by India. The situation escalated, prompting the Ambassador to leave the premises quickly. Outside the Gurdwara, a protestor was seen waving the Khalistani flag.
(With inputs from agencies)