HONORARY FELLOWS

Ashok K Kantha > Honorary Fellows

ASHOK K KANTHA

Mr Ashok K. Kantha joined as Director of the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi on 31st March 2017. 

A career diplomat, Kantha was Ambassador of India to China until January 2016. Prior to this, he was Secretary (East) at Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi with responsibility for about 65 countries in India’s extended neighbourhood. His previous assignments include High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka and Malaysia, Consul General in Hong Kong, Deputy Chief of Mission in Kathmandu (Nepal), and Joint Secretary (East Asia) in Ministry of External Affairs. Earlier, Kantha served in different capacities at Indian Missions in Singapore, China and the USA, and at headquarters in New Delhi. 

In his diplomatic career spanning over 38 years, Kantha specialized in Asian affairs, with a particular focus on China.  Apart from three assignments in China, he served as Joint Secretary (East Asia) and Director (China) at Ministry of External Affairsfor periods of four years each, closely involved in the formulation and implementation of India’s foreign policy in respect of China and East Asia.He has an advanced certificate in Chinese language from National University of Singapore.

Kantha joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977. 



India, China need to break stalemate, greater challenges ahead: Former envoy Ashok Kantha
03 Jun 2020

Former Indian envoy to China Ashok Kantha says Beijing, by being able to bounce back from the pandemic quicker than other countries, is taking a ‘first-mover advantage’.

India-China standoff: Will this defuse or escalate?
25 May 2020

India-China standoff: Will this defuse or escalate?

Experience

Current Positions

    • Director, Institute of Chinese Studies (New Delhi) w.e.f. 31 March 2017

Past Positions

     Ambassador of India to China until January 2016.

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