New Delhi: The Government of India has appointed senior Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Somnath Ghosh (IFS:1997) as the next High Commissioner of India to Malaysia. Ghosh, who is currently serving as the Consul General of India in Chicago, is expected to assume his new assignment in Kuala Lumpur shortly.
The appointment was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday.
In an official statement, the MEA said, “Shri Somnath Ghosh (IFS:1997), presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, Chicago, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Malaysia.”
The ministry added that he is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Nearly Three Decades of Diplomatic Experience
A career diplomat, Mr Ghosh joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1997 and has served in several strategically important diplomatic assignments across Asia, Europe, North America and South Asia over nearly three decades.
His extensive diplomatic experience spans bilateral relations, defence cooperation, strategic affairs, multilateral diplomacy and consular services.
Current Assignment in Chicago
Before his latest appointment, Ghosh served as the Consul General of India in Chicago, overseeing India’s diplomatic and consular engagement across seven Midwestern states in the United States.
During his tenure, he worked to strengthen trade, investment, academic collaboration, diaspora engagement and people-to-people ties between India and the United States.
Earlier Served as Ambassador to Tajikistan and Mongolia
Mr Ghosh has previously represented India as Ambassador in two strategically significant countries.
Ambassador to Tajikistan (2016–2019)
He led India’s diplomatic mission in Tajikistan, strengthening cooperation in strategic, economic and regional security matters.
Ambassador to Mongolia (2014–2016)
Before Tajikistan, he served as India’s Ambassador to Mongolia, contributing to the expansion of bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
Defence Diplomacy at the Ministry of Defence
Between September 2019 and September 2022, Ghosh headed the International Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi.
As the senior official overseeing international defence cooperation, he played a key role in defence policy formulation and negotiations involving:
- United States
- Russia
- France
- United Kingdom
- India’s land and maritime neighbours
- Major multinational defence organisations
His tenure coincided with a period of expanding India’s global defence partnerships.
Earlier Diplomatic Assignments
During his diplomatic career, Ghosh has also served in several important overseas missions, including:
- Assistant High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh, with consular jurisdiction over Chittagong and Sylhet divisions
- Moscow, Russia
- Brussels, Belgium, where he worked with the European Council and European Parliament
- Multiple assignments focusing on Central Asia
He has also held several important positions at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
Academic Background
Somnath Ghosh holds an M.Sc. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.
He is multilingual and is fluent in:
- Bengali
- Hindi
- English
- Russian
Born and raised in a remote village in West Bengal, he completed his early schooling in his native village before pursuing further education through the Ramakrishna Mission educational system.
Family
Ambassador Ghosh lives with his wife, who holds a Doctorate in Economics, and their two sons.
India-Malaysia Relations
As India’s next High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ghosh will be responsible for further strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas such as:
- Trade and investment
- Strategic and defence cooperation
- Technology and innovation
- Education and cultural exchanges
- Diaspora engagement
- Regional cooperation under the Indo-Pacific framework
His appointment comes at a time when India and Malaysia continue to deepen engagement across economic, security and people-to-people dimensions.
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