Ajai Malhotra is a retired Indian diplomat who served in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) for over three and a half decades. During his career he held senior diplomatic assignments in multilateral forums and as head of mission in several countries, with a notable focus on multilateral economic affairs, environmental diplomacy and bilateral relations with the Russian Federation.
| Name | Ajai Malhotra |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Diplomat |
| Service | Indian Foreign Service (IFS) |
| Notable post | Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation |
Malhotra joined the Indian Foreign Service and, over the course of his career, served at Indian missions and at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. He worked on a range of subjects including multilateral economic diplomacy, sustainable development, climate change negotiations and human rights.
He represented India at the United Nations and other multilateral platforms, and was associated with India's engagement on environment-related negotiations. He served as Ambassador of India to Romania and to Kuwait before being appointed Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, where he was based in Moscow. In these positions he worked on strengthening political, economic, energy and defence ties between India and the host countries.
After retiring from the Indian Foreign Service, Malhotra has been associated with public commentary and writing on foreign policy issues, particularly relating to India–Russia relations, multilateralism and global environmental governance. He has participated in policy discussions hosted by Indian think tanks and academic institutions.
Malhotra's career spans a period in which India significantly expanded its multilateral engagement and recalibrated its strategic partnerships. His tenure as Ambassador to Russia coincided with continued high-level political consultations between New Delhi and Moscow, including the regular India–Russia annual summits.