New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced two key diplomatic appointments, naming senior diplomat Devesh Uttam (IFS: 2003) as India’s next Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Anand Prakash (YOA: 2009) as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
While Uttam is currently serving as India’s Ambassador to Lithuania, Prakash is serving as a Director at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. The appointments, announced on August 6, 2026, come as part of India’s continuing diplomatic engagement with countries in Africa and beyond.
Devesh Uttam Appointed India’s Ambassador to Ethiopia
Mr Uttam is a career diplomat of the 2003 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) with more than two decades of experience across bilateral and multilateral assignments.
He is currently serving as India’s Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, a position he took up in 2023. He was India’s first resident Ambassador in Vilnius.
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Before his current assignment, Uttam handled several important responsibilities at the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters, including heading the Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division.
He was also associated with India’s extradition-related matters as the officer in charge of the Office of the Central Authority for Extradition Matters.
Who Is IFS Devesh Uttam?
Born on August 1, 1974, in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Uttam pursued higher education at some of India’s leading institutions.
He holds Master’s and M.Phil. degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. His M.Phil. research focused on the Eastern Enlargement of the European Union, including a study of the cost-benefit implications for countries joining the European Union.
He also studied International Business at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi.
Uttam speaks Hindi, English and Arabic and has also studied French and Sanskrit.
Before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 2003, he worked as Assistant Director General of Foreign Trade in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Extensive Diplomatic Experience
Uttam has served in several strategically important diplomatic assignments during his career.
At Indian missions abroad, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Tehran and as a Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
During his tenure in New York, he was elected as a Member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for the period from 2013 to 2016.
He also represented India on the Advisory Board of the UN Democracy Fund during his assignment in New York.
His other overseas assignments included Libya and Syria. In Tripoli, he headed the Political and Commercial wings of the Embassy of India, while in Damascus he headed the Culture and Information wing.
At the MEA headquarters, besides heading the CPV Division as Joint Secretary, he has served as Director (Administration) and as Under Secretary/Deputy Secretary in the Gulf Division.
Family and Personal Life
Mr Uttam is married to Ruchi, who is a dentist and holds Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Dental Surgery degrees. The couple has a son.
With his extensive experience in West Asia, Europe, multilateral diplomacy and consular affairs, Uttam brings a broad diplomatic background to his new assignment in Ethiopia.
Anand Prakash Named High Commissioner to Eswatini
In the second major diplomatic appointment, Mr Prakash (YOA: 2009) has been designated as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Prakash is currently serving as a Director at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. He has held several assignments at the MEA headquarters as well as Indian diplomatic missions abroad.
His appointment will place him at the helm of India’s diplomatic mission in Eswatini, one of India’s important partners in southern Africa.
Anand Prakash’s Diplomatic Career
Prakash has served in a number of positions involving India’s foreign policy, administration and regional diplomacy.
Before his latest appointment, he served as a Director in the Ministry of External Affairs, handling responsibilities under the SE Division.
He also served as Director (Administration) at the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi.
In 2023, Prakash headed desk operations in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Division of the MEA, giving him experience in India’s engagement with countries across the region.
His overseas assignments have included the Embassy of India in Brasília, Brazil, where he served as Second Secretary (Consular) and Head of Chancery (HOC) from 2018 to 2021.
Experience Across Regional and Administrative Divisions
Prakash’s career has combined headquarters responsibilities with overseas diplomatic assignments.
His work in the LAC Division exposed him to India’s relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries, while his assignment in Brazil involved consular and mission administration.
His subsequent responsibilities at the ICWA and MEA headquarters further expanded his experience in foreign policy, administration and international affairs.
As a member of the 2009 batch, he has also participated in the Mid-Career Training Programme (MCTP), which focuses on areas including economic diplomacy, trade alignment and India’s evolving global engagement.
Two Key Diplomatic Assignments
The appointments of Devesh Uttam and Anand Prakash add experienced Indian Foreign Service officers to India’s diplomatic missions in Ethiopia and Eswatini.
Uttam’s extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, West Asia, Europe and consular affairs will now be brought to India’s engagement with Ethiopia, while Prakash’s experience across MEA headquarters and overseas assignments will support India’s diplomatic engagement with Eswatini.
The appointments underline the importance of experienced career diplomats in managing India’s expanding bilateral relationships and advancing its foreign policy interests across Africa and other regions.
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