Mohan Kumar

Ambassador Mohan Kumar is the Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) since June 2018. RIS is a leading Delhi-based think tank which engages in policy research relating to trade, technology, investment, development, connectivity and south-south cooperation.

Ambassador Kumar has had an outstanding career in the Indian Foreign Service lasting 36 years which culminated in his posting as India's Ambassador to France based in Paris. Ambassador Kumar is a francophone and a Francophile. The strategic partnership between India and France grew remarkably under his watch in areas as diverse as defence, space, nuclear and solar energy, investment and culture. He was also actively involved in the Climate Change Accord of Paris in 2015. Prior to this, he was India’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain where he was witness to the momentous events of the "Arab Spring".

Ambassador Kumar has enormous expertise in the area of international trade and multilateral negotiations - he was India's lead negotiator first at the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and then at the WTO (World Trade Organization) in crucial areas such as Intellectual Property Rights, Services, Dispute Settlement and Environment. He has served on multiple GATT/WTO panels relating to dispute settlement.

Ambassador Kumar oversaw India’s bilateral ties with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Maldives from 2005 to 2007 as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.