Senior Diplomat Nagesh Singh Appointed As India’s Next High Commissioner To Australia

He will succeed Gopal Baglay, a 1992-batch IFS officer. Baglay has been serving at the Indian Mission in Australia since September 2023.

In an official statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “Shri Nagesh Singh (IFS: 1995), presently Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.”

Singh, a career diplomat, boasts extensive experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, and before his current assignment in Thailand, he served as Chief of Protocol in the MEA from July 2018 to October 2022.

Seasoned Hand In Diplomacy

Singh’s illustrious career includes notable postings including Consul General of India in Atlanta (June 2015 – June 2018), Officer on Special Duty/Joint Secretary to the Vice President of India (September 2012 – June 2015), Director, Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran Division, the MEA (February 2010 – August 2012), the Counsellor, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York (June 2006 – February 2010), Private Secretary to the Minister of State for External Affairs (June 2003 – May 2006) and the Under Secretary (Pakistan), MEA (September 2002 – May 2003).

He also served in key international missions, including the Indian embassies in Paris and Dakar (Republic of Senegal), where he held concurrent accreditation to several West African countries.

The IFS officer holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics from Delhi University and a Master’s degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics. He is fluent in Hindi, English and French.

Singh’s appointment comes at a time when global security and counter-terrorism remain high on the international agenda. Recently, Australia faced a major terror attack in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which claimed 15 innocent lives.

For India, Australia remains a key partner, and Singh’s extensive experience in protocol, multilateral diplomacy and crisis management positions him well for his new position. His tenure is expected to strengthen bilateral ties between India and Australia, particularly in areas of security cooperation, trade and cultural exchange.