By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: Former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. He will replace Vinai Kumar Saxena, who has been appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.
Sandhu, a 1988-batch IFS officer, previously served as India’s 28th Ambassador to the United States. During his diplomatic career, he held several key positions, including First Secretary in Washington, D.C., Consul General in Frankfurt, Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, and various senior roles in the Ministry of External Affairs. He also served as India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
He began his diplomatic career by helping establish the Indian Embassy in Ukraine, where he headed the political and administrative wing.
Sandhu assumed office as India’s Ambassador to the United States in February 2020 and served until January 2024. During his tenure, he played an important role in strengthening India–US relations, working closely with the administration of US President Donald Trump as well as the subsequent administration.
Following his retirement in February 2024, Sandhu entered politics by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Amritsar constituency.
After retirement, he was also associated with the US–India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) as a board advisor and chairman of its geopolitical institute, focusing on strengthening the India–US strategic partnership.
Sandhu’s wife, Reenat Sandhu, is also a retired diplomat who served as India’s Ambassador to Italy and the Netherlands.
