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{{short description|Indian diplomat (born 1962)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| state =
| name = Harsh Vardhan Shringla
| image = Amb - GU India Initiative - 2019-04-23.jpg
| image_size =
| alt = Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla at Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi
| caption = Shringla in 2019
| office = [[List of nominated members of the Rajya Sabha|Member of Parliament]], [[Rajya Sabha]]
| term_start = 21 July 2025
| nominator = [[Droupadi Murmu]]
| predecessor = [[Sonal Mansingh]]
| constituency = [[List of nominated members of the Rajya Sabha|Nominated]] (Diplomacy)
| office1 = 33rd [[Foreign Secretary (India)|Foreign Secretary of India]]
| term_start1 = 29 January 2020
| prime_minister1 = [[Narendra Modi]]
| minister1 = [[S. Jaishankar]]
| term_end1 = 30 April 2022<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/indian-envoy-to-united-states-harsh-vardhan-shringla-will-be-the-next-foreign-secretary/articleshow/72942706.cms |title=Indian envoy to United States Harsh Vardhan Shringla will be the next Foreign Secretary |work=The Economics Times}}</ref>
| predecessor1 = [[Vijay Keshav Gokhale]]
| successor1 = [[Vinay Mohan Kwatra]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/vinay-kwatra-is-new-foreign-secretary-harsh-shringla-coordinator-for-2023-g20-101649075956913.html |title=Vinay Kwatra is new Foreign Secretary, Harsh Shringla coordinator for 2023 G-20 |work=Hindustan Times |date=4 April 2022}}</ref>
| office2 = [[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|Ambassador of India to the United States]]
| term_start2 = 9 January 2019
| term_end2 = 11 January 2020
| predecessor2 = [[Navtej Sarna]]
| successor2 = [[Taranjit Singh Sandhu]]
| office3 = [[List of High Commissioners of India to Bangladesh|High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh]]
| term_start3 = January 2016
| term_end3 = January 2019
| predecessor3 = [[Pankaj Saran]]
| successor3 = [[Riva Ganguly Das]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/30793/Riva_Ganguly_Das_appointed_as_the_next_High_Commissioner_of_India_to_the_Peoples_Republic_of_Bangladesh |title=Riva Ganguly Das appointed as the next HCI to Bangladesh |accessdate=24 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-bangladesh-relations-riva-ganguly-das-appointed-new-envoy-to-bangladesh-1965666 |title=Riva Ganguly Das Named HCI To Bangladesh |publisher=NDTV |access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref>
| office4 = Ambassador of India to Thailand
| term_start4 = January 2014
| term_end4 = January 2016
| predecessor4 = [[Anil Wadhwa]]
| successor4 = Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi
| pronunciation =
| birth_name = Harsh Vardhan Shringla
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|5|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Bombay]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| party =
| other_party = 
| height = 
| spouse = Hemal Shringla
| partner = 
| children = Ashok Vardhan Shringla
| relatives = [[Chokila Iyer]] (aunt)
| alma_mater = [[Mayo College]] ([[Higher Secondary|HSC]])<br>[[St. Stephen's College, Delhi|St. Stephen's College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) <br>[[Delhi University]]
| occupation = Diplomat
| profession =
| known_for =
| net_worth = 
| portfolio =
| awards = 
| blank1 =
| data1 =
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| signature =
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| website = {{URL|https://mea.gov.in/fs.htm}}

| module =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Harsh Vardhan Shringla''' (born 1 May 1962) is a [[retired]] [[Indian people|Indian]] [[diplomat]] of the [[Indian Foreign Service]] who is currently serving as the [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha|Member of the Rajya Sabha]] having been nominated by the [[President of India]] since 2025.<ref name="President Murmu nominates four to Rajya Sabha, including former Foreign Secretary Shringla, 26/11 prosecutor Nikam">{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=13 July 2025 |title=President Murmu nominates four to Rajya Sabha, including former Foreign Secretary Shringla, 26/11 prosecutor Nikam |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-foreign-secretary-shringla-ujjwal-nikam-c-sadanandan-master-and-meenakshi-jain-nominated-to-rajya-sabha/article69806580.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713180529/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/former-foreign-secretary-shringla-ujjwal-nikam-c-sadanandan-master-and-meenakshi-jain-nominated-to-rajya-sabha/article69806580.ece |archive-date=13 July 2025 |access-date=13 July 2025 |publisher=The Hindu |language=en-IN}}</ref> He has served as [[Foreign Secretary (India)|Foreign Secretary of India]] from 2020 to 2022 and India's [[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|Ambassador to the United States]] where he was closely involved in the planning of [[Howdy Modi]] in 2019. He has also previously served as the [[List of high commissioners of India to Bangladesh|High Commissioner to Bangladesh]], and the Ambassador to Thailand.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/senior-diplomat-harsh-vardhan-shringla-appointed-foreign-secretary/articleshow/72942616.cms |title=Harsh Vardhan Shringla appointed new Foreign Secretary of India |date=23 December 2019 |newspaper=The Times of India |access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/harsh-vardhan-shringla-appointed-new-indian-ambassador-to-us/article25787480.ece |title=Harsh Vardhan Shringla appointed new Indian Ambassador to US |date=20 December 2018 |newspaper=Business Line |access-date=21 January 2019}}</ref><ref name=hin>[https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/22412/Shri+Harsh+Vardhan+Shringla+appointed+as+the+next+Ambassador+of+India+to+Kingdom+of+Thailand Harsh V Shringla, India's new Abmassadir to Thailand] ''[[Ministry of External Affairs of India]]'', 29 October 2013.</ref> His aunt [[Chokila Iyer]] was the Foreign Secretary of India from 2001 to 2002. He is also a Viksit Bharat Distinguished Fellow.

==Educational background==
Born in [[Bombay]], Shringla was schooled at [[Mayo College|Mayo College, Ajmer]] and received a B.A. from [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]]. He worked in private industry in India prior to joining the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). He since has published papers on conflict prevention, economic diplomacy, the Indian diaspora, and India-Bangladesh relations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.indianembassy.org/pages.php?id=326 |title=Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian Ambassador to the United States |access-date=22 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122094700/https://www.indianembassy.org/pages.php?id=326 |archive-date=22 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Diplomatic career==
Shringla joined the IFS in 1984 and spent 38 years in the service. He held a variety of positions both in New Delhi, at the headquarters of the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|MEA]], and abroad at Indian diplomatic missions. He was posted in France (as part of India's Mission to [[UNESCO]]), the Permanent Mission of India to the [[United Nations]] in [[New York City]], [[Vietnam]] (at the consulate-general and embassy in [[Hanoi]] and [[Ho Chi Minh City]], respectively), Israel, and South Africa (at the consulate-general in [[Durban]]).<ref name="embassy Harsh">{{Cite web |url=https://www.indianembassy.org/pages.php?id=326 |title=Harsh V Shringla, Indian Ambassador to the United States |access-date=22 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122094700/https://www.indianembassy.org/pages.php?id=326 |archive-date=22 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Ambassador of India to Thailand===

Shringla received his first ambassadorial assignment to the Kingdom of Thailand and served for two years from January 2014 to January 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://embassyofindiabangkok.gov.in/pages.php?id=3 |title=Embassy of India in Bangkok |date=8 August 2018 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref>

===High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh===
[[File:Harsh Vardhan Shringla (portrait) Meets Nasrul Hamid Bangladesh Secretariat Dhaka 2016-03-13 (PID-0055434) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Shringla as the [[List of High Commissioners of India to Bangladesh|Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh]] in [[Dhaka]] in 2016.]]
Shringla served as [[List of High Commissioners of India to Bangladesh|High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh]] from January 2016 to January 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://ibtbd.net/harsh-vardhan-shringla-high-commissioner-india-bangladesh/ |title=Harsh Vardhan Shringla, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh |date=7 March 2018 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> During this period, Prime Minister [[Sheikh Hasina]] of Bangladesh visited India in April 2017, a visit that Shringla helped coordinate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described her visit as the heralding of a "Sonali Adhyay" or a "Golden Era" in the [[India-Bangladesh relations|bilateral ties]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/et-analysis-indo-bangla-relations-enjoy-golden-period/articleshow/66118543.cms |title=ET Analysis: Indo-Bangla relations enjoy golden period |work=The Economic Times |date=8 October 2018 |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> He is also credited for his role as the co-chair of the India-Bangladesh Joint Boundary Working Group,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/1636/Meeting+of+IndiaBangladesh+Joint+Boundary+Working+Group |title=Meeting of India-Bangladesh Joint Boundary Working Group |date=11 November 2010 |access-date=14 December 2019}}</ref> which finalized India's [[India–Bangladesh enclaves|Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/harsh-vardhan-shringla-is-new-indian-envoy-in-bangladesh/articleshow/49833588.cms |title=Harsh Vardhan Shringla is new Indian envoy in Bangladesh |work=The Economic Times |date=18 November 2015 |access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref>

===Ambassador of India to the United States===

Shringla in 2019 was appointed the [[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|Indian Ambassador to the United States]]. Within two days of his arrival in [[Washington, D.C.]], he presented his credentials to [[U.S. President]] [[Donald J. Trump|Donald Trump]] on 11 January 2019 in a ceremony at [[The White House]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.indianembassy.org/press_detail.php?nid=24820 |title=Press Release - Ambassador Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla presented his Credentials to U. S. President Mr. Donald Trump |date=11 January 2019 |access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref>

He traveled across the U.S. in an effort to become a bridge for people-to-people ties between India and the U.S. He traveled to 21 U.S. states during his one-year tenure, making an effort to reach out to students, Americans of Indian-origin, working professionals, and state governments.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.rtp.org/calendar/driving-innovation-technology-and-indias-rise-as-a-global-power/ |title=Driving Innovation: Technology and India's Rise as a Global Power |date=10 October 2019 |access-date=6 January 2020}}</ref>

During his time in the U.S., the [[Howdy Modi]] event took place in [[Houston]], [[Texas]] on 22 September 2019, where Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] jointly addressed a gathering of over 50,000 people, with a plurality of the attendees being of Indian-origin.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dailyo.in/politics/Modi-in-Houston-howdy-Modi-Houston-mahatma-Gandhi-Donald-trump/story/1/32041.html |title=How Modi weaved magic in Houston |date=25 September 2019 |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> The event was the largest rally ever hosted by a foreign leader in the United States, and the first one to be jointly held with a U.S. president.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/29/prime-minister-modi-india-donald-trump-addressed-huge-houston-rally-who-was-signaling-what/ |title=How Modi Attracted 50000 in Houston |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=29 September 2019 |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> Shringla, as India's Ambassador, was heavily involved in the planning of the event.

==Foreign Secretary of India==
[[File:Deputy Secretary Sherman Participates in the India Ideas Summit with Foreign Secretary Shringla (51563242193).jpg|thumb|[[United States Deputy Secretary of State|Deputy Secretary]] [[Wendy Sherman|Sherman]] Participates in the India Ideas Summit with Foreign Secretary Shringla]]
On 29 January 2020, Shringla assumed the charge of Foreign Secretary of India as the 33rd [[Foreign Secretary of India|Foreign Secretary]]. While addressing media ahead of taking charge, Shringla acknowledged the responsibilities and challenges that came with it and added that he would work under the leadership of Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of India for a more secure and prosperous India.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/harsh-vardhan-shringla-takes-charge-as-the-new-foreign-secretary/article30683044.ece |title=Ambassador Shringla Takes Charge As 33rd FS |date=29 January 2020 |work=Business Line |access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref>

As Foreign Secretary of India, he visited [[Myanmar]] in December 2021 and emphasized India's interest in seeing Myanmar's return to democracy at the earliest; release of detainees and prisoners; resolution of issues through dialogue and complete cessation of all violence in relation to the [[2021 Myanmar coup d'état]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bhattacherjee|first=Kallol|date=2021-12-24|title=India seeks early return of democracy in Myanmar|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-seeks-early-return-of-democracy-in-myanmar/article38024643.ece}}</ref>

During his tenure as Foreign Secretary, he dealt with some of the most pressing foreign policy issues namely, fallout of the [[COVID pandemic]], [[2020–2021 China–India skirmishes|India-China border issues at Ladakh]], [[2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan]] and military takeover in Myanmar.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-12-13|title=Despite COVID-19 pandemic, India and UAE continued to work closely together|url=https://www.aninews.in/news/world/others/despite-covid-19-pandemic-india-and-uae-continued-to-work-closely-together-shringla20211213192321/|work=ANI News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-12-01|title=Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla meets EU special envoy for Afghanistan|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/foreign-secretary-harsh-vardhan-shringla-meets-eu-special-envoy-for-afghanistan/articleshow/88036363.cms|work=The Economic Times|language=en}}</ref>

On 1 April 2022 he was succeeded by [[Vinay Mohan Kwatra]] as the 34th [[Foreign Secretary of India]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2022-04-04|title=Vinay Mohan Kwatra announced as the new foreign secretary|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/vinay-mohan-kwatra-india-s-ambassador-to-nepal-to-be-new-foreign-secretary-101649073091154.html|work=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> After his superannuation from the Indian Foreign Service, Shringla was appointed Chief G20 Coordinator for [[2023 G20 New Delhi summit|India's G20 Presidency in 2023]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2022-04-10|title = Harsh V Shringla was G20 chief coordinator|work=[[The Economic Times]]|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/harsh-v-shringla-is-g20-chief-coordinator/articleshow/90752084.cms}}</ref>

==Publications==
Shringla has written on a number of topics such as international economy, climate change, preventive diplomacy and India-US bilateral relations, including ''The United Nations and Conflict Prevention: Balance Between Sovereignty and Action'' ([[Indian Journal of International Law]])<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shringla |first1=Harsh Vardhan |title=The United Nations and Conflict Prevention: Balance Between Sovereignty and Action |url=https://www.isil-aca.org/download/contents/2007.pdf |journal=Indian Journal of International Law |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=429–445 |access-date=5 December 2019}}</ref> and ''Project Granite at the New International Airport in Israel'' (CUTS International, 2011).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Rana |first1=Kishan S |last2=Chatterjee |first2=Bipul |year=2011 |title=Economic Diplomacy: India's Experience |pages=79, 84 |place=Jaipur |publisher=CUTS International |isbn=978-81-8257-139-6}}</ref>

Shringla has also contributed articles in newspapers and magazines on a diverse range of topics including an [[Op-ed|Op-ed piece]] in [[The New York Times]], ''India Is Building a More Prosperous Kashmir'' giving the context and objectives of India's decision to abrogate the temporary [[Article 370 of the Constitution of India|Article 370]] in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/opinion/india-pakistan-kashmir-jammu.html |title=India Is Building a More Prosperous Kashmir |first=Harsh Vardhan |last=Shringla |date=19 September 2019 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=5 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/opinion/imran-khan-kashmir-pakistan.html |title=The World can't Ignore Kashmir. We Are All In Danger. |first=Imran |last=Khan |date=30 August 2019 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=5 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/opinion/imran-khan-kashmir-pakistan.html |title=Indian ambassador briefs US lawmakers on Kashmir |first=Harsh Vardhan |last=Shringla |date=17 October 2019 |work=Deccan Herald |accessdate=5 December 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Shringla was born in Mumbai, to Tenduf Tshering La, a [[History of Buddhism in India|Buddhist]] [[Sikkimese people|Sikkimese]] father and Hari Devi Basnet, a [[Hindu]] [[Indian Gorkha|Gorkha]] mother. Both his parents were Sikkimese from [[Darjeeling]], [[West Bengal]]. His family name ''Tshering La'' was recorded as ''Shringla'' in the birth and school documents made in Bombay. His father was also part of the Indian civil service.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2020-01-29|title=Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has overcome challenges pragmatically|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-diplomat-foretold-harsh-vardhan-shringla-foreign-secretary-6240024/|access-date=2020-11-26|work=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> He speaks Nepali, English, French, Vietnamese, Hebrew and other Indian languages like Bengali, Hindi and [[Sikkimese Bhutia language|Sikkimese]].<ref name=":0" /> He is married to Hemal Shringla and has one son.<ref name="embassy Harsh" /> His aunt [[Chokila Iyer|Chokila Iyer (Tshering)]] also served as [[India]]'s first female [[Foreign Secretary (India)|foreign secretary]] from March 2001 to June 2002.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The non-accidental rise of Harsh Shringla|url=https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-non-accidental-rise-of-harsh-shringla|date=14 April 2023|work=The Nepali Times}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
* He was awarded the [[Jack Gibson (schoolmaster)|JTM Gibson Award]] for Outstanding Alumni by Mayo College, Ajmer in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://jtmgibson.typepad.com/my_weblog/jtm-gibson-award-for-exce.html |title=Remembering Jack Gibson |date=1 January 2017 |access-date=4 October 2019}}</ref>
* The ICFAI University, Sikkim bestowed on him a [[Honorary Doctorate|D. Litt Honoris Causa Honorary Doctorate]] degree on 9 September 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM0XBpEW4VI&t=92s |title=Ambassador Harsh V Shringla's acceptance speech on receiving Honorary Doctorate |date=9 September 2019 |access-date=9 September 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Vijay Keshav Gokhale|Vijay Gokhale]]
*[[List of Mayoites]]
*[[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar|Dr. S Jaishankar]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20220202044934/https://www.mea.gov.in/fs.htm Bio data of Foreign Secretary] – Ministry of External Affairs of India

{{s-start}}
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Anil Wadhwa]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Indian Ambassador to Thailand|years=2014–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pankaj Saran]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of ambassadors of India to Bangladesh|Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh]]|years=2016–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Riva Ganguly Das]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Navtej Sarna]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|Indian Ambassador to the United States]]|years=2019–2020}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Taranjit Singh Sandhu]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Vijay Keshav Gokhale|Vijay Gokhale]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Foreign Secretary of India]]|years=2020–2022}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Vinay Mohan Kwatra]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Indian Ambassadors to the United States}}
{{Ambassadors of India}}
{{Indian civil servants}}

{{Authority control}}

{{commons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shringla, Harsh Vardhan}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Mumbai]]
[[Category:People from Darjeeling]]
[[Category:Foreign secretaries of India]]
[[Category:Indian Gorkhas]]
[[Category:St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to the United States]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:Mayo College alumni]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Thailand]]
[[Category:High commissioners of India to Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha]]

Harsh Vardhan Shringla - Revision history

Mokx71 at 18:08, 24 April 2026