Ruchi Ghanashyam

RUCHI GHANASHYAM joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1982. During her career of thirty-eight years, she worked in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs, the Government of India, including as director (Pakistan) and secretary (West). Outside India, she served in the Indian embassies in Damascus, Kathmandu, Brussels and Islamabad, as well as the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York. She was India’s high commissioner to Ghana, South Africa and the UK, where she retired in 2020.

Post retirement, she has written newspaper columns and articles as well as chapters for books. She has also participated in seminars and panel discussions, speaking on India’s foreign policy to students in India and the UK as well as at think tanks. She is a member of the board of patrons at the India Centre for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development, University of Southampton, and adjunct faculty at the Manipal Centre for European Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. She is also involved in social work.

She is married to A.R. Ghanashyam, who joined the IFS in 1982 and retired as India’s high commissioner to Nigeria. They have two sons.