London | Vikram Doraiswami wrapped his tenure as India's High Commissioner to the UK this week to head over to Beijing, where he will take up his new post as Ambassador to China.
UK Foreign Office Minister for the Indo-Pacific Seema Malhotra hailed Doraiswami's role in taking the bilateral partnership to a "new level" during the course of his over three-year assignment in London.
The British Indian minister referenced his "unflappable nature" and charm in overseeing the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as one of the key highlights of the bilateral relationship last year.
"You've taken the partnership between our countries to a new level, playing that central role in bringing the Free Trade Agreement to its conclusion and been part of making sure that the trade agreement dealt with every challenge in its way," said Malhotra, at a farewell gathering in London recently.
"Your work has helped unlock new investment through the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge. Those strong foundations will continue to deliver and be part of our story, our relationships, our investment in each other's countries for many years to come... Beijing's gain will be London's loss," she said.
Doraiswami, from the 1992 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) batch and fluent in Mandarin, has previously been posted in the Embassy of India in Beijing for nearly four years from September 1996.
"Nothing ever is really done and dusted. It is a work in progress. It is always going to be a work in progress," he said, addressing a gathering of parliamentarians, government officials and diaspora representatives.
"What the Free Trade Agreement essentially gives us is a platform to increase our trade and the flow of investments, and in short, our investment in the idea that in India's growth and success lies Britain's growth and success, and vice versa. So that work is yet to be done, and it won't ever stop being done," he said.
The senior diplomat's final days of his London posting this week were marked by interactions with multi-faith communities and discussions around strengthening the bilateral partnership in the cultural sphere, including through the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in the UK.
Alistair Harrison, Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps in London, was among those who called upon Doraiswami at India House to convey farewell wishes on behalf of King Charles III, "highlighting the strength, continuity, and shared traditions that define India-UK diplomatic ties".
"Your leadership, strong governance and policy direction are deeply appreciated. I wish you every success in your new post," said Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Botchwey, conveying her gratitude for his chairmanship of the Commonwealth Secretariat's Executive Committee.
Periasamy Kumaran, also from the 1992 IFS batch and Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has been named as the new High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom and is expected to take up his assignment in London soon.
