New Indian envoy coming

Admiral Sureesh Mehta

The Indian Government has appointed former Chief of the Indian Navy Admiral Sureesh Mehta as its next High Commissioner and Plenipotentiary to New Zealand, rescinding its earlier order appointing career diplomat Deepak Vohra (Indian Newslink, August 1, 2009).

He will arrive in New Zealand next month.

Admiral Mehta (62), who retired from the Indian Navy on August 31 after 42 years of service, three of which were as the chief, will be the first Indian Naval officer to become the head of a diplomatic mission.

There have only been two others from the armed forces who served as diplomats in the past - Field Marshall Kodandera Madappa Cariappa who was the High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand in the 1950s and Chief Marshal Arjan Singh of the Indian Air Force who served as the Ambassador to Switzerland. 

Mr Mehta was the first service chief born after India obtained independence (1947). He joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Indian Navy and flew the Hawker Sea Hawk off the aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

He has served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command and as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).

Mr Mehta and his wife Maria Teresa were in Auckland in July 2006 aboard the Indian frigate INS Tabar conducting joint exercises with the New Zealand Royal Navy.