Navtej Sarna, presently the Secretary (west) in the Ministry of External Affairs will be the next Indian High Commissioner to Britain. According to the sources the position will be taken up in late December. Mr Sarna will be replacing the current High Commissioner HE Ranjan Mathai, who is set to complete his two year term after PM Modi's planned visit in the UK in November.
Born in 1957 in Jalandhar, Shri Navtej Singh Sarna studied Commerce at Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi. Thereafter he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Law from Delhi University and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1980.
In the course of his career in IFS, he has served in a variety of positions in Delhi and abroad. Between 1980 and 2002, he worked in Indian Embassies in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Tehran and Washington interspersed with assignments at Headquarters. He was the longest serving Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs from 2002-2008. From 2008-2012 he was India's Ambassador to Israel. From August 2012 to August 2014 he was Additional Secretary/Special Secretary (International Organizations & Political) at Headquarters.
Mr. Sarna assumed his present position in September 2014. Mr. Sarna is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books. He speaks Russian and Polish apart from English and Indian languages. He is married to Dr. (Mrs.) Avina Sarna and has a son and a daughter.
Outgoing in December is also Mr Prashant Pise, Minister for Press and Information and Head of Chancery, Indian High Commission, who will be going to Tunisia, as the Indian ambassador.
