INDIA’S new High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Kumar Patnaik, on Wednesday presented his credentials to Governor General Mary Simon in Rideau Hall Ballroom to officially begin his diplomatic mission.
Patnaik and Simon exchanged views on strengthening India-Canada bilateral relations.
Patnaik, who had been Ambassador of India to Spain and Andorra since January 2022, is a career diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service with over 30 years of experience in a variety of interesting and challenging assignments. He has served in Indian missions in Geneva, Dhaka, Beijing and Vienna.
At New Delhi headquarters, he served in the Europe West, External Publicity, Africa and UN Divisions.
Patnaik served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Vienna from 2009 to 2012, as India’s Ambassador to Cambodia from 2012 to 2015, as Ambassador to Morocco from 2015 to 2016, and as Deputy High Commissioner of India to London from 2016 to 2018.
He was Additional Secretary (Indian Ocean Region) from November 2018 to July 2019 and thereafter Additional Secretary (Consular, Passport & Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs) from July 2019 to January 2020 in the Ministry of External Affairs.
He held the post of Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Patnaik is married to Poonam who is an international educator. They have two daughters.
