The proposed appointment comes amid speculation that New Delhi could consider a political appointee for Kathmandu following the Gen Z-led political upheaval and the emergence of a new government headed by Prime Minister Balen Shah.

Choosing a seasoned career diplomat like Dalela signals the preference for an experienced professional.

Dalela, currently Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and India’s BRICS Sherpa, has more than three decades of experience across neighbourhood diplomacy, multilateral negotiations, economic policy, and strategic affairs.

People familiar with the matter said India has formally sought Kathmandu’s ‘agrément’ for Dalela’s appointment. The vacancy in Kathmandu was created following the retirement of career diplomat Naveen Srivastava earlier this month.

In Spotlight As BRICS Sherpa

A 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Dalela has served in a wide range of diplomatic assignments.

He was also entrusted with the role of India’s Sherpa for BRICS, IBSA and I2U2.

The BRICS assignment placed him at the centre of one of India’s most demanding multilateral diplomatic exercises. During India’s 2026 chairship, Dalela coordinated negotiations among an expanded and increasingly diverse grouping. He played a key role in helping forge consensus on the joint declaration at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi last month despite sharp differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

His handling of the BRICS negotiations reinforced his reputation as a consensus-builder capable of managing divergent positions without losing sight of India’s larger diplomatic objectives.

A posting to Kathmandu would therefore bring Dalela back to a portfolio he knows well, while giving him an opportunity to draw on his wider experience in economic, political and strategic diplomacy. 

Nepal Is Familiar Territory

Dalela’s selection is particularly significant because Nepal is not unfamiliar territory for him. 

He handled the Nepal and Bhutan portfolios at the MEA at two crucial stages of his career - first as Director (North) during 2006-07 and later as Joint Secretary (North) from 2016 to 2019, an assignment that gave him a close understanding of India’s complex and often sensitive relationship with its Himalayan neighbours.

His overseas postings have included Indian missions in Tel Aviv, Brasilia, Chicago, Dhaka, Geneva, Thimphu, and Washington. He was Ambassador to Bhutan from 2022 to 2025, giving him the recent experience of working in the Himalayan region and dealing with issues of direct strategic importance to India.

Dalela has also spent considerable time at the centre of policymaking in New Delhi. 

As Director in the Prime Minister’s Office between 2009 and 2011, he worked on India’s engagement with South Asia, East Asia, the Indo-Pacific, the Gulf, the Middle East, and Africa. The assignment exposed him to high-level policy coordination and gave him an understanding of how bilateral diplomacy intersects with wider strategic priorities.

Economic Diplomacy

Economic and multilateral diplomacy form another important strand of his career. He served as Director (Trade Policy) in the Department of Commerce and had two stints at India’s Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva. 

From 2014 to 2016, he was India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the WTO, gaining extensive experience in international trade negotiations and multilateral economic institutions.

His diplomatic experience in the United States was equally substantial. He served as Consul General in Chicago and later held political responsibilities at the Indian Embassy in Washington, eventually becoming Deputy Chief of Mission from 2020 to 2022.

Dalela took charge as Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA in September 2025. His responsibilities include economic diplomacy, development partnerships, India’s engagement with the Global South and multilateral economic relations. 

At a time when India-Nepal ties require careful handling amid a changing political landscape in Kathmandu, his combination of neighbourhood expertise, high-level policy experience and multilateral negotiating skills could prove particularly valuable.