Dinesh K Patnaik, an experienced diplomat from the 1990 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, has been selected to serve as India’s next High Commissioner to Canada, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs. This appointment is particularly significant given the current state of diplomatic relations between India and Canada.
In September 2023, tensions escalated when then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly suggested that New Delhi was involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian national whom India had designated as a Khalistani terrorist. India strongly refuted these claims, leading to a deterioration in the relationship between the two countries.
Adding to the strain, Canada expelled several Indian diplomats, including then High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. India responded in kind with similar measures.
Patnaik is a graduate of Delhi University (1988) and holds an MBA from IIM Calcutta, in addition to a Master’s in International Relations from Vienna.
Throughout his distinguished career, Patnaik has held a variety of important positions both in India and overseas. His foreign assignments include Geneva, Dhaka, Beijing, and Vienna. At the MEA, he has worked in divisions concerned with Africa, Western Europe, the UN, and external publicity. Prior to his current role in Spain, he was also India’s Ambassador to Cambodia and Morocco.