Shilpi at 13:00, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T13:00:38Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian diplomat}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| office = [[Indian people|Indian]] [[Ambassador]] to [[China]]
| term_start = November 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianembassybeijing.in/interview-to-South-China.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613074529/http://indianembassybeijing.in/interview-to-South-China.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-06-13 |title=Embassy Of India, Beijing |date= |accessdate=2018-10-17}}</ref>
| term_end = December 2018
| predecessor = [[Vijay Keshav Gokhale]]
| successor = [[Vikram Misri]]
| office1 = [[List of Indian High Commissioners to Pakistan|High Commissioner of India to Pakistan]]<ref name="archive.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.india.org.pk/pages.php?id=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613072544/https://www.india.org.pk/pages.php?id=15 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-06-13 |title=Welcome to High Commission of India, Islamabad, Pakistan |date= |accessdate=2018-10-17}}</ref>
| prime_minister1 =
| term_start1 = January 2016<ref name="archive.org"/>
| term_end1 = November 2017<ref name="archive.org"/>
| predecessor1 = [[TCA Raghavan]]<ref name="archive.org"/>
| successor1 = [[Ajay Bisaria]]<ref name="archive.org"/>
| office2 = [[List of ambassadors of India to Bhutan|Indian Ambassador to Bhutan]]
| prime_minister2 =
| term_start2 = August 2014<ref name="archive.org1">{{cite web|url=https://www.indianembassythimphu.bt/pages.php?id=10|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613073219/https://www.indianembassythimphu.bt/pages.php?id=10|archivedate=2018-06-13|title=Welcome to Embassy of India Thimphu, Bhutan|date=13 June 2018|publisher=}}</ref>
| term_end2 = December 2015<ref name="archive.org1"/>
| predecessor2 = V. P. Haran<ref name="archive.org1"/>
| successor2 = Jaideep Sarkar<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianmandarins.com/jaideep-sarkar-appointed-as-next-ambassador-to-bhutan/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613075040/https://indianmandarins.com/jaideep-sarkar-appointed-as-next-ambassador-to-bhutan/|archivedate=2018-06-13|title=Jaideep Sarkar appointed as next Ambassador to Bhutan - Indian Mandarins is Exclusive News, Views and Analysis News portal on Indian bureaucracy, governance, PSUs and Corporate|date=13 June 2018|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indianembassythimphu.bt/pages.php?id=9|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613075548/https://www.indianembassythimphu.bt/pages.php?id=9|archivedate=2018-06-13|title=Welcome to Embassy of India Thimphu, Bhutan|date=13 June 2018|publisher=}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|11|2|df=y}}<ref name="archive.org2">{{cite web|url=https://mea.gov.in/writereaddata/images/Civi_List_27-7-12.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422070724/https://mea.gov.in/writereaddata/images/Civi_List_27-7-12.pdf|archivedate=2018-04-22|date=22 April 2018|publisher=}}</ref>
| birth_place =
| occupation = [[Diplomat]] [[Indian Foreign Service|IFS]]
| children = Two sons
| party =
| alma_mater = [[The Bishop's School (Pune)|Bishop's School, Pune]]; [[Fergusson College]]; [[Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics]]
| profession =
| spouse = Amite Bambawale née Sathe
| sibling =
| website =
}}
'''Gautam Bambawale''' (born 2 November 1958<ref name="archive.org2"/>) is a [[retired]] [[Indian people|Indian]] [[diplomat]] of the [[Indian Foreign Service]] who served as the [[List of ambassadors of India to China|Indian Ambassador to China]] from 2017 to 2018. He had previously served as the [[List of Indian High Commissioners to Pakistan|Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan]].

==Personal life==
Gautam was born to Hemant and Usha Bambawale. He grew up in [[Pune]] and studied at the [[The Bishop's School (Pune)|Bishop's School]] and the [[Fergusson College]].<ref name="archive.org3">{{cite web|last=Puri|first=Tarini|date=13 June 2018|title=Pakistan posting makes Pune diplomat's parents proud - Pune News - Times of India|website=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Pakistan-posting-makes-Pune-diplomats-parents-proud/articleshow/49100759.cms?|url-status=live|access-date=13 June 2018|publisher=|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613064240/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Pakistan-posting-makes-Pune-diplomats-parents-proud/articleshow/49100759.cms|archivedate=13 June 2018}}</ref> He obtained a [[Master's Degree]] in [[Economics]] from the [[Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics]].<ref name="archive.org4">{{cite web|url=http://indianembassybeijing.in/profile.php|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613064106/http://indianembassybeijing.in/profile.php|archivedate=2018-06-13|title=Embassy Of India, Beijing|date=13 June 2018|publisher=}}</ref> Bambawale's father is a [[physician]] while his mother has been a prominent social activist from [[Pune]].<ref name="archive.org3"/> In his youth, Gautam played [[badminton]] and captained the [[Fergusson College]] Cricket Team too.<ref name="archive.org3"/> He speaks [[Mandarin Chinese]] and [[German language|German]] fluently.<ref name="archive.org4"/>

He married Amita Sathe.<ref name="archive.org5">{{cite web|url=https://highonwines.com/2016/01/13/dinner-decor-a-how-to-guide-for-fabulous-centerpieces-by-amita-sathe-bambawale/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615145337/https://highonwines.com/2016/01/13/dinner-decor-a-how-to-guide-for-fabulous-centerpieces-by-amita-sathe-bambawale/|archivedate=2018-06-15|title=Dinner Decor : A How-to Guide for Fabulous Centerpieces by Amita Sathe Bambawale – High On Wines|date=15 June 2018|publisher=}}</ref> Amita has authored a book, "Dinner Décor: A How-to Guide for Fabulous Centerpieces".<ref name="archive.org5"/>

Gautam and Amita have two sons: Harshavardhan and Vikram.<ref name="archive.org3"/>

==Career==
[[File:The_Ambassador-designate_of_India_to_the_People's_Republic_of_China,_Shri_Gautam_H._Bambawale_meeting_with_the_President_of_India,_Shri_Ram_Nath_Kovind,_at_Rashtrapati_Bhavan_on_November_13,_2017.jpg|thumb|Gautam Bambawale meeting with the President of India, [[Ram Nath Kovind]], at Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 13, 2017]]
Bambawale joined the [[Indian Foreign Service]] in August 1984. He studied [[Mandarin Chinese]]<ref name="archive.org2"/> and served in the [[Indian people|Indian]] missions at [[Hong Kong]] and [[Beijing]] from 1985 to 1991. Upon his return to the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] in [[New Delhi]], he served as the first Desk Officer for [[China]] in the Ministry. From 1993 to 1994, Bambawale was the Director in the Americas Division of the Ministry.<ref name="archive.org4"/>

From 1994 to 1998, he was the Director of the Indian Cultural Centre in [[Berlin]] where he dealt with [[Public diplomacy]]. From March 2001 to June 2002, he worked at the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] in [[New Delhi]] as the Staff Officer to the [[Foreign Secretary (India)|Foreign Secretary of India]].<ref name="archive.org4"/> Subsequently, he functioned at the [[Prime Minister's Office (India)|Prime Minister's Office]] in [[New Delhi]] as the Deputy Chief in the Division of National Security Affairs, Defence and International Policy.<ref name="archive.org4"/>

Bambawale was the Minister (Political) and Head of the Political Wing at the [[Embassy of India, Washington, D.C.|Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C.]] from July to September 2007. From September 2007 to December 2009, he served as [[India]]'s first [[Consul (representative)|Consul General]] in [[Guangzhou]]. From December 2009 to July 2014, he was the [[Joint secretary to Government of India|Joint Secretary]] (East Asia) at the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] in [[New Delhi]].<ref name="archive.org4"/>

He also served as the [[List of ambassadors of India to Bhutan|Indian Ambassador to Bhutan]] from August 2014 to December 2015<ref name="archive.org1"/> and the [[List of Indian High Commissioners to Pakistan|High Commissioner of India to Pakistan]] from January 2016 to November 2017.<ref name="archive.org"/>

Bambawale is considered as an expert on [[China]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/centre-appoints-gautam-bambawale-as-the-next-ambassador-to-china/892279/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613073736/https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/centre-appoints-gautam-bambawale-as-the-next-ambassador-to-china/892279/|archivedate=2018-06-13|title=Centre appoints Gautam Bambawale as the next ambassador to China - The Financial Express|date=13 June 2018|publisher=}}</ref>

He joined [[Ola Cabs]] in 2020, as a senior adviser for corporate and international affairs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roche|first=Elizabeth|date=2020-02-26|title=Former ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale joins Ola|url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/former-ambassador-to-china-gautam-bambawale-joins-ola-11582715554355.html|access-date=2021-07-11|website=mint|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bambawale, Gautam}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Bhutan]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to China]]
[[Category:High commissioners of India to Pakistan]]
[[Category:People from Pune]]

Gautam Bambawale - Revision history

Shilpi at 13:00, 7 April 2026