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Ambassador (Dr.) Mohan Kumar

  • Ambassador Mohan Kumar is the Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) since June 2018. RIS is a leading Delhi-based think tank which engages in policy research relating to trade, technology, investment, development, connectivity and south-south cooperation.

    Ambassador Kumar has had an outstanding career in the Indian Foreign Service lasting 36 years which culminated in his posting as India's Ambassador to France based in Paris. Ambassador Kumar is a Francophone and a Francophile. The strategic partnership between India and France grew remarkably under his watch in areas as diverse as defence, space, nuclear and solar energy, investment and culture. He was also actively involved in the Climate Change Accord of Paris in 2015. Prior to this, he was India’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain where he was witness to the momentous events of the “Arab Spring”. Mohan

    Ambassador Kumar has enormous expertise in the area of international trade and multilateral negotiations. He was India's lead negotiator first at the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and then at the WTO (World Trade Organization) in crucial areas such as Intellectual Property Rights, Services, Dispute Settlement and Environment. He has served on multiple GATT/WTO panels relating to dispute settlement. 

    Ambassador Kumar oversaw India’s bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Maldives from 2005 to 2007 as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. 

    Ambassador Kumar holds a MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi and a PhD from Sciences Po, Paris. 

    Ambassador Kumar is Professor of Diplomatic Practice at the Jindal School of International Affairs, Sonipat, India since August 2017. He is also Vice Dean in-charge of global initiatives and institution-building at the above School. 

    Ambassador Kumar’s expertise thus includes: diplomatic practice and foreign policy, multilateral trade negotiations, climate change negotiations, globalization and academia. 

    Ambassador Kumar is author of a book entitled “Negotiation Dynamics of the WTO: An Insider’s Account”, published by Palgrave Macmillan (2018). 

    Ambassador Kumar is fluent, apart from English, in French, Hindi and Tamil. He is married and has two grown children. He is an avid traveller and a voracious reader. 

    Email: mohan.kumar@ris.org.in