Vinay Mohan Kwatra is an Indian diplomat who will be serving as the 34th Foreign Secretary of India from May 2022. Previously, he served as the Indian ambassador to France.Kwatra started his journey as an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer in 1998.His first posting was as a third secretary and then second secretary in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva until 1993.While serving in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, he learnt the French language, meanwhile handling The National Human Rights Commission of India and work relating to UN specialized agencies. He also earned a diploma in International Relations from the Graduate School of International Studies in Geneva.Between 1993 and 2003, he served as a desk officer at the IFS headquarters in New Delhi, initially dealing with the United Nations and later with South Africa and Uzbekistan.Between 2003 and 2006, he served as a Counsellor and later as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India, Beijing, China.He represented India at the SAARC Secretariat in Nepal for 4 years, from 2006 to 2010, as head of the Trade, Economy and Finance Bureau.From May 2010 to July 2013, he served as Minister (Commerce) in the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C., United States.Between July 2013 and October 2015, Kwatra served as the head of the Policy Planning & Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and later headed the Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry, where he dealt with Indias relations with the United States and Canada.In 2015, he joined Prime Minister Narendra Modis office as the joint secretary and worked there till 2017.