Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07NEWDELHI2056
2007-04-30 11:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
BIOGRAPHY: MEA JOINT SECRETARY GAITRI KUMAR
how-toVZCZCXRO1068 OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHNE #2056 1201154 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 301154Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5238 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6055 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 9645 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9802 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 3059 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0351 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2009 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4892 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 9751 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0151 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 7530 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 3913 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 9325 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 4498 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4543 RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6814 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 002056
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS, INR/B
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IN
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY: MEA JOINT SECRETARY GAITRI KUMAR
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D)
DIPLOMATIC CAREER
----------
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 002056
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS, INR/B
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IN
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY: MEA JOINT SECRETARY GAITRI KUMAR
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D)
DIPLOMATIC CAREER
--------------
1. (C) Gaitri Kumar replaced Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as
Ministry for External Affairs (MEA),Joint Secretary
(Americas) in January. She joined the Indian Foreign Service
in 1986. Prior to her current assignment, her career
trajectory is as follows:
--1987-1989 - Third Secretary/Second Secretary at Embassy
Lisbon.
--1989-1990 - Under Secretary in the Maldives and Myanmar
division at the Ministry for External Affairs (MEA).
--1990-1994 - Regional Passport Officer in Bangalore.
--1994-1997 - First Secretary at Embassy Kathmandu.
--1997-1998 - Deputy Secretary in the Finance division at
MEA.
--1999-2002 - Deputy Secretary/Director, Establishment, which
overseas budgets and grants at MEA.
--2002-2004 - Counselor in the Permanent Mission in Geneva.
--2004-2006 - Brief stints as Director - Nepal-Bhutan,
Finance and Americas divisions.
--2006 - Joint Secretary (Establishment) at the MEA,
DEEP COMMITTMENT TO THE U.S.
--------------
2. (C) Deeply committed to the Indo/U.S. relationship, Kumar
describes herself as the USG's strongest advocate within the
GOI. The DCM reports her as stating, "my job is to make sure
you get as many contracts as possible." She told PolCouns
recently, "You'll never find any red tape on the files I
manage." However, Embassy officers note that she is
intimidated by the reputation of her predecessor as a
politically astute and brilliant interlocutor. Kumar works
very hard, which is demonstrated by her presence at the
office every Saturday.
PERSONALLY A BIT OF A MYSTERY
--------------
3. (C) On a personal level, Kumar is hard to get to know. She
is straightforward, comes directly to the point and does not
engage in diplomatic banter or small talk on personal
subjects. An arts graduate, Kumar speaks English, Hindi and
Nepali. She is 46 and married with two daughters, ages 15 and
8.
PYATT
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/INS, INR/B
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IN
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY: MEA JOINT SECRETARY GAITRI KUMAR
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for reasons 1.4 (B,D)
DIPLOMATIC CAREER
--------------
1. (C) Gaitri Kumar replaced Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as
Ministry for External Affairs (MEA),Joint Secretary
(Americas) in January. She joined the Indian Foreign Service
in 1986. Prior to her current assignment, her career
trajectory is as follows:
--1987-1989 - Third Secretary/Second Secretary at Embassy
Lisbon.
--1989-1990 - Under Secretary in the Maldives and Myanmar
division at the Ministry for External Affairs (MEA).
--1990-1994 - Regional Passport Officer in Bangalore.
--1994-1997 - First Secretary at Embassy Kathmandu.
--1997-1998 - Deputy Secretary in the Finance division at
MEA.
--1999-2002 - Deputy Secretary/Director, Establishment, which
overseas budgets and grants at MEA.
--2002-2004 - Counselor in the Permanent Mission in Geneva.
--2004-2006 - Brief stints as Director - Nepal-Bhutan,
Finance and Americas divisions.
--2006 - Joint Secretary (Establishment) at the MEA,
DEEP COMMITTMENT TO THE U.S.
--------------
2. (C) Deeply committed to the Indo/U.S. relationship, Kumar
describes herself as the USG's strongest advocate within the
GOI. The DCM reports her as stating, "my job is to make sure
you get as many contracts as possible." She told PolCouns
recently, "You'll never find any red tape on the files I
manage." However, Embassy officers note that she is
intimidated by the reputation of her predecessor as a
politically astute and brilliant interlocutor. Kumar works
very hard, which is demonstrated by her presence at the
office every Saturday.
PERSONALLY A BIT OF A MYSTERY
--------------
3. (C) On a personal level, Kumar is hard to get to know. She
is straightforward, comes directly to the point and does not
engage in diplomatic banter or small talk on personal
subjects. An arts graduate, Kumar speaks English, Hindi and
Nepali. She is 46 and married with two daughters, ages 15 and
8.
PYATT