Vinay Mohan Kwatra (born 15 December 1962) is an Indian diplomat of Indian Foreign Service who served as the 34th Foreign Secretary of India, from May 2022 until July 2024 and is currently serving as Ambassador of India to the United States. Previously, he has served as the Ambassador of India to France and Nepal.
Vinay Mohan Kwatra was born on 15 December 1962. He holds a degree of B Sc Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (Hons.) from G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, and Master's in Science (M.Sc.). Kwatra speaks French, Hindi and English. He has also obtained a diploma in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.
He has previously served at Ministry of External Affairs, India and Prime Minister's Office as Joint Secretary. He has also served as Minister (Commerce) at the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. from May 2010 to July 2013. Between July 2013 and October 2015, Mr. Kwatra headed the Policy Planning & Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and later served as the head of the Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry where he dealt with India's relations with the United States and Canada. He has served at different positions in many of India's missions abroad and in India. Kwatra holds an experience of nearly 32 years in a range of assignments and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1988.
On 4 April 2022, it was announced that Mr. Kwatra will succeed Harsh Vardhan Shringla to assume the post of the Foreign Secretary of India upon the latter's superannuation of the post on 30 April 2022. On 1 May, he became the 34th Foreign Secretary of India and was succeeded by Vikram Misri on 14 July 2024.
On 12 August 2024, Kwatra succeeded Taranjit Singh Sandhu as the Ambassador of India to the United States of America. During his tenure, Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th President of the United States. The Ambassador, together with officials of the Embassy, focused on strengthening bilateral relations between India and the United States. Subsequently, following the 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack, India carried out Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. Although hostilities later ceased, the cessation was not formally confirmed by the Government of India, amid reports of pressure from the United States, particularly President Trump. In an interview with CNN, he referred to the perpetrators of the attack and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in strongly critical terms, describing them as "lowlifes" and "subhuman monsters," which drew widespread attention.
Thereafter, the United States imposed a 25% tariff along with an additional 25% penalty tariff on India, citing its purchase of Russian oil. New regulatory measures concerning H-1B visas were also introduced, adversely affecting Indian professionals working in the United States.
While the PM Modi maintained a firm position, in January 2026 President Trump reduced the tariff on India to 18%, making it lower than those applied to Pakistan and China. Throughout these developments, Ambassador Kwatra played a significant role in maintaining engagement and restoring confidence in IndiaâÂÂUS relations. Ultimately, India and the United States came close to finalizing a comprehensive trade agreement.
He is married to Pooja Kwatra. The couple has two sons.