Meet the Ambassador: India

Biography:

Harjinder Kang is His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India. He was appointed in May 2023.

Prior to his appointment, Harjinder was the UK’s Chief Negotiator for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA). In parallel, he served as the Director for Trade Policy in the areas of Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Core Text. He has previously served in the Department for International Trade as Director for Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Bioeconomy having had a career spanning nearly 30 years with AstraZeneca, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies.

In his role as the Deputy High Commissioner, Harjinder leads a subordinate office to the High Commission in another major city and fulfills a similar role to a Consul General, representing the UK government and typically responsible for consular, visa and trade activities in their city or region. The Deputy High Commissioner for Western India represents all aspects of the UK Government’s interests in the states of Goa, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

In his role as The HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for South Asia, Harjinder oversees all Department for Business and Trade (DBT) work in Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka:

• growing bilateral trade and investment relationships
• improving market access for British companies, including small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs)
• developing finance and trade policy

The HMTC also works closely with High Commissioners, Ambassadors, the wider diplomatic network and colleagues across the UK to support the prosperity agenda. This plans to be a really interesting and engaging session.