Shri Tanmaya Lal assumed charge as Secretary (West) on 5 August 2024.
He is a career diplomat, having joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1991. He has served in various capacities at Ministry of External Affairs and in Indian Missions abroad. His previous work experience includes India’s engagement with western Europe, extended neighbourhood, UN and multilateral aspects, and several regional groupings.
Most recently, Shri Lal was India’s Ambassador to Sweden and Latvia (Dec 2020-July 2024). Prior to that he was High Commissioner to Mauritius and Ambassador/DPR to UN in New York. In addition to Stockholm, Port Louis and New York, he has served in Indian Missions in Bonn, Tehran, Vienna (also accredited to Slovenia), Bangkok and Nairobi (also accredited to Somalia & Eritrea). He was Deputy High Commissioner & DPR in Nairobi and Deputy Chief of Mission & DPR in Bangkok.
At Headquarters, he has earlier headed the UN Economic & Social (UNES) and the East & Southern Africa (E&SA) Divisions. As the head of UNES Division, his portfolio included Climate Change negotiations, Agenda 2030, Human Rights Council among others. As the head of E&SA Division, his portfolio had also included engagement with AU and 2015 Third India Africa Summit. In Mauritius he was also engaged in implementation of a range of India-assisted large infrastructure projects.
Shri Tanmaya Lal received the S.K. Singh Award in 2013 for Excellence in the Indian Foreign Service.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree with Honours in Biological Sciences from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani. He did his schooling in New Delhi. After graduating in 1987, he worked with two Indian PSUs – Oil & Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) (1988-91) and Cement Corporation of India (CCI) (1987-88) before joining the IFS.
He speaks English, Hindi and German and has some working knowledge of French.
Shri Lal is married to Sumita Lal and they have one son.