Indian-origin Diplomat Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir Appointed as US Ambassador to Indonesia, Showcasing Decades of Diplomatic Expertise
President Joe Biden has appointed Indian-origin diplomat Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir as the US Ambassador to Indonesia. With a long career in the State Department, she brings extensive experience in diplomacy, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Indian-origin diplomat Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir has been appointed by President Joe Biden as the United States Ambassador to Indonesia. With almost 30 years of service in the State Department, Lakhdhir is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and was recently the Executive Secretary of the Department of State. Her father, Noor, immigrated from Mumbai to the US in the 1940s. Lakhdhir is a Harvard graduate and holds an MS from the National War College.
She previously served as the US Ambassador to Malaysia from 2017 to 2021 and as the US Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 2009 to 2011. Her extensive overseas assignments include China, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. Raised in Westport, Connecticut, Lakhdhir attributes her international career to her parents' rich international background and family trips abroad. She began her career overseas as a teacher in China for two years after graduating from Harvard College in 1986. Lakhdhir's nomination as US Ambassador to Indonesia highlights her expertise and experience in diplomacy, particularly in Southeast Asia.