After Mr Richard Rahul Verma, who is the US ambassador to India, yet another Indian American has been named the country’s envoy by President Barack Obama. Mr Atul Keshap, a senior Indian-American Foreign Service official, has been named as ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

“I am honoured that these talented individuals have decided to serve our country. They bring their years of experience and expertise to this administration, and I look forward to working with them,” he said announcing Mr Keshap’s appointment with three others. Currently as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, a position he has held since 2013, Mr Keshap assists Ms Nisha Desai Biswal, the first Indian-American to lead the bureau.

Now with Mr Keshap’s appointments, Indian Americans would be serving as US envoys in three of eight SAARC nations. Another Indian American, Mr Puneet Talwar as assistant secretary for political-military affairs, serves as a bridge between the State and Defence departments. And Mr Arun Madhavan Kumar as assistant secretary of commerce and director general of the US and Foreign Commercial Service is charged with boosting US trade abroad. Mr Keshap previously served at the State Department as a US Senior Official for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2012 to 2013. From 2010 to 2012, he was the Director for India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.

—AK