Amb. Ajay Bisaria

As one of India’s foremost thought leaders, Amb. Ajay Bisaria offers strategic guidance to leading global businesses on geopolitical and country risks, government relations and regulatory challenges. Bisaria is also engaged with some influential Indian think tanks including the Observer Research Foundation where he serves as a distinguished fellow. 

Bisaria last served in the government as the high commissioner of India to Canada from March 2020 to June 2022, where he gave a strong push to Canadian institutional investment into India. From 2017 to 2020, he served as the high commissioner of India to Pakistan. 

Bisaria’s other key appointments include serving concurrently as India’s ambassador to Poland and Lithuania (2015-2017) and as joint secretary (Eurasia) in the Ministry of External Affairs (2009-2014). Highlights during these postings include working on India’s overall policy and bilateral relations with countries in Eurasia, supporting the long-term vision of India and Russia’s “special and privileged strategic partnership” and developing India’s policy approach to multilateral entities like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Russia-India-China trilateral dialogue. 

Bisaria also served as an adviser to the World Bank executive director for South Asia (2004-2008), where he worked on issues concerning corporate governance and multilateral economic diplomacy while developing a policy approach to enhance India’s rankings in the “ease of doing business” reports. 

A highlight of Bisaria’s career was serving as the private secretary to former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during most of his 1999-2004 term. As an aide to the prime minister, he contributed to key economic, defense and foreign policy initiatives. 

Bisaria was earlier posted as first secretary in the Indian Embassy in Berlin (1995-1999). Earlier, Bisaria worked at India’s Ministry of Commerce (1992-1995) during the era of India’s economic liberalization. He contributed to the new trade policy paradigm and managed India’s successful transition from rupee barter arrangements to a hard currency system. 

Bisaria has a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University (1980-1983); a master’s degree in business administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata (1983-1985); and a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States (2008-2009).