Hardeep Singh Puri is India's permanent representative to UN

Hardeep Singh Puri, currently secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. He will succeed Nirupam Sen, whose term ended on March 31.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Puri was expected to take up his assignment shortly in New York.

Sen's term ended on March 31 and he has since been appointed Special Senior Adviser to the President of the UN General Assembly on the world financial and economic crisis.

Puri, 57, a 1974-batch Indian Foreign Services officer, is known for his expertise on economic issues, especially on World Trade Organisation-related matters.

He has also served as India's Permanent Representative to the UN institutions in Geneva and is currently Secretary (Economic Relations) in the ministry.