Senior Diplomat Puneet Agrawal Appointed As India’s Ambassador To Thailand

The government, in a notification, announced the name of Agarwal, who is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He will take up his new assignment shortly, the MEA said.

Agrawal has a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades in India’s diplomatic service. Over the years, he has held several key positions both at headquarters and in Indian Missions abroad, contributing significantly to India’s foreign policy priorities.

Steering India’s Ocean Strategy

At present, he serves as Additional Secretary (Indian Ocean Region) in the MEA, where he has been overseeing India’s strategic interests and bilateral engagements across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) since October 2022.

During his tenure at the MEA headquarters in New Delhi, Agrawal has handled a wide range of critical portfolios, which included Joint Secretary (UNES) and managed United Nations Economic and Social issues. He also served as Joint Secretary (Establishment) and oversaw administrative and personnel matters.

His current role in the Indian Ocean Region has been particularly significant amid evolving geopolitical dynamics and India’s expanding maritime engagement.

Wide-Ranging Diplomatic Career

Agrawal’s diplomatic career also includes several high-profile international postings, including at Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Geneva (2019–2022). During this tenure, he represented India in multilateral forums and negotiations at the UN and related bodies.

He also served as Consul General in Hong Kong (2016–2019), where he strengthened economic, trade, and people-to-people ties, while managing consular services and strategic outreach.

Agrawal has also served in Indian Embassies in Vienna, Austria and Thimphu, Bhutan. These assignments provided him with extensive experience in bilateral diplomacy across Europe and South Asia.

Agrawal, having a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi, possesses a strong academic foundation in engineering and public policy.

Agrawal’s posting comes at a time when India continues with its aim to strengthen its engagement under its Act East Policy and deepen cooperation with Southeast Asian partners. Thailand occupies a key position in India’s diplomatic and strategic calculus, particularly in areas like maritime security, trade, connectivity, tourism and cultural exchanges.