Kenneth Ian Juster (born November 24, 1954) is a veteran American diplomat, who served as the United States Ambassador to India from 2017 to 2021.

[6] Juster graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1972, where he was the president of the Honor Society, an AFS exchange student in Thailand (1971), and a member of the varsity basketball team.

Juster graduated from Harvard College, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1976, with a Bachelor of Arts in Government (magna cum laude).

Juster received a grant from the CFIA in 1975 to conduct research in Japan for his senior thesis, "How Process Affects Substance: Japanese Foreign Policy Making During the Oil Crisis of 1972–1973," under Professors Edwin O. Reischauer and Robert L. Paarlberg.

The Japan Interpreter published an abbreviated version of the thesis, entitled “Foreign Policy-Making During the Oil Crisis,” in its Winter 1977 edition.

In that matter, he coordinated a legal strategy that secured the overseas assets of the Government of Panama and helped institute U.S. sanctions against the Noriega regime, which was ousted from office.

He was one of the key U.S. Government officials involved in establishing and managing U.S. assistance programs to Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including setting up the initial Enterprise Funds for that region.

Juster was also actively involved at State in policy matters relating to China, Japan, Latin America, and the Persian Gulf.

He also later received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit from the president of the Federal Republic of Germany for his contributions to U.S.-German relations during the end of the Cold War and in its aftermath.

In that capacity, Juster oversaw issues at the intersection of business and national security, including strategic trade controls related to the exports of sensitive U.S. goods and technologies, imports and foreign investments that affect U.S. security, enforcement of anti-boycott laws, and industry compliance with international arms control agreements.

His work related to India played an important role in the transformation of the U.S.-India relationship and helped provide the foundation for the historic civil nuclear agreement between the two countries.

Juster oversaw the functions of corporate development, legal affairs, global public policy and strategy, enterprise risk management, human resources, internal audit, and worldwide real estate.

He established the corporate development function and successfully executed the company's initial eight acquisitions and numerous strategic investments in start-up ventures.

Juster was also centrally involved in the company's international expansion, including the growth of business in Japan and the establishment of operations in India.

[10] He focused on a broad range of issues, including geopolitical risk, global public policy, and regulatory matters relating to the firm's investment activities and portfolio companies.

As part of his responsibilities, Juster oversaw the U.S. relationship with the Kingdom of Bhutan, with which the United States does not currently have formal diplomatic relations.

During his tenure, Juster was involved with India on a broad range of issues across many sectors, including defense, trade and finance, energy, science and technology, aviation, health, agriculture, education, and space.

He participated in the development of the U.S. government's Indo-Pacific strategy and the relaunching of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

The United States and India also inaugurated an annual 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between each country's Foreign and Defense Ministers and held three such meetings during Juster's tenure.

In addition, the U.S. government led the way in revitalizing the Quad, with meetings held among the foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States in 2019 and 2020.

Juster also participated in the inauguration of the Tata-Boeing Aerospace joint venture in Hyderabad, which will become the sole location for production of Apache helicopter fuselages.

The United States also supported the modernization of India's power grid, and the development of energy storage technologies as well as renewables and biofuels.

These included creating the Blue Room at Roosevelt House, the Ambassador's residence, with the restoration of Rajasthani-inspired murals designed by U.S. artist Karen Lukas, which were featured in the May-June 2019 India edition of Architectural Digest.

Juster interacted with the Tibetan community in India throughout his tenure, including meetings with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamshala and Leh, Ladakh.

The other is the Kenneth I. Fellowship Fund to support the research of outstanding master's in public policy students specializing in international and global affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Juster's research, analysis, and public discourse on the so-called Iraqgate scandal was instrumental in demonstrating that, contrary to media reporting and popular opinion, there was, in fact, no improper or illicit assistance by the U.S. Government to Iraq in the lead up to the 1991 Gulf War.

An Independent Counsel appointed by the U.S. Attorney General in the Clinton Administration subsequently investigated the Iraqgate allegations and validated all elements of Juster's analysis.