IFS Officer Puneet Agrawal Entrusted New Responsibility as the MEA Additional Secretary and Indian Ocean Region Expert Appointed as India’s Ambassador to Thailand
The Government of India has appointed senior diplomat Puneet Agrawal (IFS: 1997) as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Thailand. The decision was formally notified on February 13, 2026, marking a significant diplomatic assignment at a time when India–Thailand ties are expanding across strategic, economic, and cultural dimensions.
A career officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Agrawal currently serves as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He is expected to assume charge of his new diplomatic responsibilities in Bangkok shortly.
A Senior Diplomat with Nearly Three Decades of Experience
Puneet Agrawal belongs to the 1997 batch of the Indian Foreign Service and has accumulated close to three decades of diplomatic experience in both bilateral and multilateral domains. Over the years, he has handled sensitive assignments at MEA headquarters in New Delhi and at Indian missions overseas, contributing to India’s strategic, economic, and geopolitical priorities.
At present, he has been serving as Joint Secretary (Indian Ocean Region) since October 2022, overseeing India’s maritime diplomacy and engagement across the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region (IOR). His stewardship of this division has coincided with heightened geopolitical competition and India’s expanding maritime partnerships.
Key Assignments at MEA Headquarters
During his tenure at the Ministry of External Affairs, Agrawal has managed multiple high-impact portfolios, including:
Joint Secretary (Indian Ocean Region): Supervising maritime diplomacy, regional security cooperation, and India’s outreach to island and littoral states.
Joint Secretary (UNES): Handling United Nations Economic and Social matters, representing India in multilateral negotiations.
Joint Secretary (Establishment): Managing administrative and кадров-related issues within the MEA.
Responsibilities in divisions such as Cypher, NGO, and Vigilance & Inspection (CNV & I).
Director-level assignments covering regional and functional desks.
His role in shaping India’s approach toward Indian Ocean partners has been particularly significant amid evolving Indo-Pacific dynamics.
Prominent International Postings
Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Geneva (2019–2022)
Agrawal served as Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative at India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, representing the country in multilateral institutions and negotiations under the UN framework. His tenure involved engagement with global governance platforms and complex diplomatic negotiations.
Consul General of India in Hong Kong (2016–2019)
As Consul General in Hong Kong, he strengthened trade, investment, and people-to-people ties while overseeing consular and strategic outreach functions.
Earlier Overseas Assignments
He has also been posted to Indian missions in:
Vienna, Austria
Thimphu, Bhutan
These postings provided him with extensive exposure to European and South Asian diplomatic environments, strengthening his bilateral negotiation and policy coordination skills.
Strengthening Indian Ocean Partnerships
In July 2023, Agrawal undertook a two-day official visit to Seychelles to reinforce India’s strategic cooperation with island nations in the Indian Ocean Region. The visit underscored India’s continued commitment to maritime security, development partnerships, and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Academic and Educational Background
Puneet Agrawal brings a strong academic foundation to his diplomatic career. He earned a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (1991–1995). His technical training has complemented his work in international negotiations, policy frameworks, and multilateral discussions involving science, technology, and regulatory matters.
His schooling years were spent in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where he studied at Silver Bells, St. Paul’s Academy, and Delhi Public School (DPS), Ghaziabad. Public disclosures also indicate property ownership in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
India–Thailand Relations: A Strategic Phase
Agrawal’s appointment comes at a crucial juncture in India–Thailand relations. In April 2025, bilateral ties were elevated to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangkok for the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.
Key pillars of the strengthened relationship include:
Enhanced maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
Expansion of digital and technological collaboration
Trade growth, with bilateral commerce reaching approximately $15–19 billion by late 2024
Ongoing review of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)
Connectivity initiatives such as the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway
Reciprocal visa-free entry measures introduced in 2024
Cultural diplomacy, including the 2024 exposition of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha in Thailand, which attracted over four million devotees
Thailand plays a pivotal role in India’s “Act East” policy, while India complements Thailand’s “Act West” approach, creating convergence across trade, security, and regional connectivity frameworks.
Strategic Significance of the Appointment
Thailand occupies a key position in Southeast Asia, both geographically and geopolitically. It serves as a gateway to ASEAN markets and plays a central role in subregional groupings such as BIMSTEC and Mekong cooperation frameworks.
With his deep expertise in multilateral diplomacy, Indian Ocean affairs, and regional strategic engagement, Puneet Agrawal’s appointment is viewed as a calculated move to consolidate India’s outreach in Southeast Asia.
As India continues to enhance maritime cooperation, trade connectivity, and Indo-Pacific partnerships, Agrawal’s experience across global platforms and regional theatres positions him to steer India–Thailand relations into a more structured and strategically aligned phase.
