Gautam Bambawale
Indian Ambassador to China
In office
November 2017[1] – December 2018
Preceded byVijay Keshav Gokhale
Succeeded byVikram Misri
High Commissioner of India to Pakistan[2]
In office
January 2016[2] – November 2017[2]
Preceded byTCA Raghavan[2]
Succeeded byAjay Bisaria[2]
Indian Ambassador to Bhutan
In office
August 2014[3] – December 2015[3]
Preceded byV. P. Haran[3]
Succeeded byJaideep Sarkar[4][5]
Personal details
Born (1958-11-02) 2 November 1958[6]
NationalityIndian
SpouseAmite Bambawale née Sathe
ChildrenTwo sons
Alma materBishop's School, Pune; Fergusson College; Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
OccupationDiplomat IFS

Gautam Bambawale (born 2 November 1958[6]) is an Indian diplomat and served as the Indian Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2018. He had previously served as the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Personal life

Gautam was born to Hemant and Usha Bambawale. He grew up in Pune and studied at the Bishop's School and the Fergusson College.[7] He obtained a Master's Degree in Economics from the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics.[8] Bambawale's father is a physician while his mother has been a prominent social activist from Pune.[7] In his youth, Gautam played badminton and captained the Fergusson College Cricket Team too.[7] He speaks Mandarin Chinese and German fluently.[8]

He married Amita Sathe.[9] Amita has authored a book, "Dinner Décor: A How-to Guide for Fabulous Centerpieces".[9]

Gautam and Amita have two sons: Harshavardhan and Vikram.[7]

Career

Gautam Bambawale meeting with the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 13, 2017

Bambawale joined the Indian Foreign Service in August 1984. He studied Mandarin Chinese[6] and served in the Indian missions at Hong Kong and Beijing from 1985 to 1991. Upon his return to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, he served as the first Desk Officer for China in the Ministry. From 1993 to 1994, Bambawale was the Director in the Americas Division of the Ministry.[8]

From 1994 to 1998, he was the Director of the Indian Cultural Centre in Berlin where he dealt with Public diplomacy. From March 2001 to June 2002, he worked at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi as the Staff Officer to the Foreign Secretary of India.[8] Subsequently, he functioned at the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi as the Deputy Chief in the Division of National Security Affairs, Defence and International Policy.[8]

Bambawale was the Minister (Political) and Head of the Political Wing at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. from July to September 2007. From September 2007 to December 2009, he served as India's first Consul General in Guangzhou. From December 2009 to July 2014, he was the Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.[8]

He also served as the Indian Ambassador to Bhutan from August 2014 to December 2015[3] and the High Commissioner of India to Pakistan from January 2016 to November 2017.[2]

Bambawale is considered as an expert on China.[10]

He joined Ola Cabs in 2020, as a senior adviser for corporate and international affairs.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Embassy Of India, Beijing". Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Welcome to High Commission of India, Islamabad, Pakistan". Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Welcome to Embassy of India Thimphu, Bhutan". 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018.
  4. ↑ "Jaideep Sarkar appointed as next Ambassador to Bhutan - Indian Mandarins is Exclusive News, Views and Analysis News portal on Indian bureaucracy, governance, PSUs and Corporate". 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Welcome to Embassy of India Thimphu, Bhutan". 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 (PDF). 22 April 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180422070724/https://mea.gov.in/writereaddata/images/Civi_List_27-7-12.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2018. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. 1 2 3 4 Puri, Tarini (13 June 2018). "Pakistan posting makes Pune diplomat's parents proud - Pune News - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Embassy Of India, Beijing". 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Dinner Decor : A How-to Guide for Fabulous Centerpieces by Amita Sathe Bambawale – High On Wines". 15 June 2018. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Centre appoints Gautam Bambawale as the next ambassador to China - The Financial Express". 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018.
  11. ↑ Roche, Elizabeth (26 February 2020). "Former ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale joins Ola". mint. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
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