Committed to serve people of Delhi, says LG Sandhu
The newly appointed Delhi Lt Governor, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, on Friday said he is committed to serving the people of Delhi and the nation with dedication and humility. President Droupadi Murmu appointed the former diplomat as the Delhi LG, replacing VK Saxena, who had been in office for nearly four years.
In a post on X, Sandhu said, “Deeply honoured and grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the opportunity to serve the people of Delhi as Lieutenant Governor. Grateful also to Home Minister Amit Shah for his trust and support. “Committed to serving the people of Delhi and the nation with dedication and humility,” he added.
Sandhu’s appointment was part of a major reshuffle of gubernatorial posts effected in several States and Union territories by President Murmu late on Thursday night. Sandhu, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was one of the most experienced Indian diplomats on United States affairs. He served in the Indian Mission in Washington DC multiple times.
He was India’s ambassador to the US from February 2020 to January 2024. Previously, he served as the deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Washington from July 2013 to January 2017 and as the first secretary (political) from 1997 to 2000, with the responsibility to liaise with the US Congress.
Sandhu also served as an advisor to the Board of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and Chairman of its newly established Geopolitical Institute. The former envoy to the United States has a diplomatic career spanning nearly 40 years.
He guided USISPF’s strategic initiatives, particularly focusing on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the Quad (India, Japan, Australia, US), and the I2U2 grouping comprising India, Israel, the US, and the UAE. His diplomatic career also includes three stints in Washington, DC, including serving as Deputy Chief of Mission under then-Ambassador S Jaishankar. He played a key role in organising events such as PM Modi’s 2014 Madison Square Garden address, Trump’s 2020 India visit, and the 2024 state visit of PM Modi to Washington.
As Chair of the Geopolitical Institute, the former envoy helped shape USISPF’s approach to evolving geopolitical dynamics, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. His focus areas will include defence cooperation, vaccine diplomacy, critical and emerging technologies, and energy partnerships. He also offered strategic insights on regional initiatives like IMEC and I2U2, both of which gained significant momentum during his tenure in Washington.
