Gaitri Issar Kumar
{{short description|Indian diplomat and current High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu being received by the Deputy Head of Protocol, Belgium, Ms. Francine Chainaye and the Ambassador of India to Belgium, Ms. Gaitri Issar Kumar, on his arrival, in Brussels, Belgium.JPG
| caption = Kumar (second from left) with Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu and Deputy Head of Protocol, Belgium, Francine Chainaye in Brussels.
| office = High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom
| term_start = 23 June 2020
| term_end = 30 June 2022
| predecessor = Ruchi Ghanashyam
| successor = Vikram Doraiswami
| office1 = Ambassador of India to Belgium and the EU
| term_start1 = 17 April 2017
| term_end1 = June 2020
| predecessor1 = Manjeev Singh Puri
| successor1 = Santosh Jha
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|06|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| occupation = Indian Foreign Service
| children =
| party =
| alma_mater =
| profession =
| nationality =
| spouse =
| sibling =
| website =
| honorific_suffix = IFS
| honorific_prefix = Her Excellency
}}
Gaitri Issar Kumar (born 20 June 1962) is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1986 batch. Her last posting was as the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom. Prior to that, she served as Ambassador to Belgium, the European Union and Luxembourg. She also had stints as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Paris, and Counselor in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva as well as at the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi.
Early life and education
Kumar was born on 20 June 1962 in Bangalore to a Punjabi family. She completed her early education at Sophia High School and her graduation from Bangalore University where she studied history, economics and political science.{{cn|date=December 2022}}
Professional career
She joined the Indian Foreign Service as part of the 1986 batch of officers . After serving in several roles, including as the social secretary to the President of India in 2012,{{cite report|title=Civil List of the Indian Foreign Service|publisher=Indian Foreign Service|date=1 April 2013|url=https://mea.gov.in/writereaddata/images/Civi_List_27-7-12.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422070724/https://mea.gov.in/writereaddata/images/Civi_List_27-7-12.pdf|archive-date=22 April 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|accessdate=2020-11-10|title=High Commissioner|url=https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/page/amb-profile/|publisher=High Commission of India, London}} Kumar was appointed Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union on 14 June 2017.{{cite news|date=14 June 2017|accessdate=2020-11-10|title=India appoints envoys to Italy, Denmark, Belgium, EU|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/india-appoints-envoys-to-italy-denmark-belgium-eu-42231|work=The Tribune}} After the retirement of her predecessor Ruchi Ghanashyam, Kumar became the High Commissioner in London in June 2020.{{cite magazine|accessdate=2020-11-10|title=New Indian High Commissioner Gaitri Kumar arrives in the UK|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/new-indian-high-commissioner-gaitri-kumar-arrives-in-the-uk/1875356|magazine=Outlook India}} As High Commissioner, Kumar prioritized deepening Indo-UK ties and trade post-Brexit.{{cite magazine|agency=ANI|accessdate=2020-11-10|title=UK, India need very clear roadmap to strengthen ties, says High Commissioner Gaitri Kumar|url=http://businessworld.in/article/UK-India-need-very-clear-roadmap-to-strengthen-ties-says-High-Commissioner-Gaitri-Kumar/10-07-2020-296046|magazine=Businessworld}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Gaitri Issar}}
Category:People from Bengaluru
Category:High commissioners of India to the United Kingdom
Category:Ambassadors of India to Belgium
Category:Ambassadors of India to Luxembourg
Category:Ambassadors of India to the European Union
Category:Indian women ambassadors
{{India-diplomat-stub}}