Taranjit Singh Sandhu appointed Delhi LG, VK Saxena to take over as Ladakh Governor

Former Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu. (File Photo)

Former Indian ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi  replacing Vinai Kumar Saxena.

Sandhu is a well known name in the diplomatic circles and has served as India’s Ambassador to the United States until his retirement form the Indian Foreign Services in 2024.

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.

In another key development, Vinai Kumar Saxena will take over as the lieutenant governor of Ladakh. The development came hours after Kavinder Gupta resigned from the post. During his tenure as Delhi LG, Vinai Kumar Saxena made his role much more vocal than his predecessors. With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) already in power when Saxena stepped in, his tenure was marred with constant political battles with the elected government, as he constantly raised questions over the governance in the national capital.