Dr. Rajesh Ranjan is a senior Indian diplomat from the 2001 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, currently serving as Deputy Director General at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), where he oversees key initiatives including international scholarship programs. Over a distinguished career, he has represented India in multiple high-level diplomatic roles across continents. Most recently, he served as India’s Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire (2023–2025), strengthening bilateral ties in West Africa. Prior to this, he was the High Commissioner of India to Botswana (2018–2023), where he also engaged with regional diplomacy through the Southern African Development Community (SADC). At the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, Dr. Ranjan held the position of Director (Americas) from 2016 to 2018, contributing to India’s strategic engagement with the Western Hemisphere. His earlier international experience includes serving as First Secretary/Consular at India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva (2012–2015), where he worked on global issues such as labour, climate change, and public health. He has also played an important role in shaping India–Africa relations, serving as Deputy Secretary for the 2nd India-Africa Forum Summit and later as Director for the 3rd Summit, contributing to key diplomatic engagements between India and African nations.