Senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the appointment on Thursday. Patnaik’s posting comes at a sensitive time in the relationship between New Delhi and Ottawa.
In September 2023, then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian national designated as a Khalistani terrorist by India. This accusation was strongly rejected by New Delhi, causing a significant downturn in India-Canada relations.
Further exacerbating the diplomatic tensions, Ottawa expelled several Indian diplomats, including the then High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, prompting a reciprocal action from India.
Patnaik graduated from Delhi University in 1988 and later earned an MBA from IIM Calcutta. He also holds a Master’s in International Relations from Vienna.
Throughout his three-decade career, Patnaik has held key positions both in India and abroad. His foreign postings include Geneva, Dhaka, Beijing, and Vienna. Within the MEA, he has worked in divisions focusing on Africa, Western Europe, the UN, and external publicity. In addition to his current role in Spain, Patnaik has also served as India’s Ambassador to Cambodia and Morocco.