[1] He is a 1977 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.
He had previously served as Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs Government of India (2013–2014), High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka (2009–2013) and as India's High Commissioner to Malaysia (2007–2009).
[2] He is currently the Director of the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.
[citation needed] After graduating in History from Patna University in 1975, he briefly worked as an executive with the State Bank of India.
He joined the Indian Foreign Service in July 1977 and studied Chinese Language at Nanyang University, Singapore.