Born: 23 January 1969
Service: Indian Foreign Service (IFS), 1992 batch
Education: B.Tech in Electronics & Communication from IIT Madras
Current Position: Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (since 1 April 2025)
🌐 Diplomatic Career
Shri Kumaran has amassed extensive experience across Indian missions abroad:
- Held roles as Third Secretary in Cairo and Second Secretary in Tripoli during the 1990s.
- Served in Brussels, Islamabad, Washington D.C., and Colombo in increasingly senior diplomatic positions.
- Appointed Ambassador to Qatar (2016–2020) and High Commissioner to Singapore (2020–2023).
Back at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters, he served in various capacities including Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport & Visa), and later as Additional Secretary and Special Secretary in Economic Relations and Development Partnership Administration.
📌 Role as Secretary (East)
Since assuming office in April 2025, Shri Kumaran oversees India’s diplomatic outreach to East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. His strategic efforts include:
- Representing India at major Indo-Pacific and ASEAN meetings.
- Driving forward India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and forging synergies with ASEAN’s regional priorities.
- Managing security dialogues and cooperation on issues like counterterrorism, cyber resilience, maritime security, and climate-energy collaboration.
📝 Summary
Shri Periasamy Kumaran is a veteran diplomat with deep experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy across Asia and the Indo-Pacific. As Secretary (East), he plays a pivotal role in advancing India’s economic, security, and strategic interactions with key regional partners.