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Aug 29, 2025: Senior diplomat Dinesh K. Patnaik has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday.

Ambassador to Spain is Patnaik, an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1990 batch. Soon, he is expected to start his new job in Ottawa. Canada's claims that India was involved in the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023 have caused tension in bilateral relations between India and Canada. India strongly denied the allegations, which resulted in diplomatic expulsions, visa restrictions, and a halt to dialogue.

India withdrew its envoy to Canada in October 2024. However, a window for a diplomatic reset has been opened by recent high-level political signals, such as the outreach to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this year. Given his previous experience managing sensitive diaspora-related issues in London and his track record of navigating politically complex assignments, Patnaik's appointment is being viewed in New Delhi as a carefully chosen move.

Patnaik, a distinguished diplomat who has worked in the field for more than three decades, brings a wealth of international and institutional knowledge to his new position. His previous foreign assignments include Ambassador posts in Cambodia (2012–2015) and the Kingdom of Morocco (2015–2016). He then spent 2016–2018 as Deputy High Commissioner in London, where he dealt with issues related to Sikh separatist activities, a sensitive topic that he will likely return to in his new position.

Additionally, Patnaik has held significant leadership positions at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), first as Additional Secretary in charge of the Indian Ocean Region and later in charge of the Consular, Passport & Visa, and Overseas Indian Affairs divisions. He served as Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) from February 2020 to December 2021, enhancing India's cultural diplomacy.