After returning to India,Sandhu served as Officer on Special Duty (Press Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs from December 1995 to March 1997. In this role,he was responsible for maintaining liaison with foreign media operating in India.[5]
After completing his assignment in New York,Sandhu returned to India and served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs from March 2009 to August 2011,coordinating India's UN policy,multilateral diplomacy,and engagement with global governance institutions. He later served as Joint Secretary (Administration),heading the Human Resource Division and overseeing personnel management,postings,and administrative matters for the Indian Foreign Service and ministry staff.[5]
From September 2011 to July 2013,Sandhu served as the Consul General of India in Frankfurt,Germany. In this role,he was responsible for strengthening India’s economic,commercial,and cultural engagement with the region,specially given the fact that Frankfurt is the Financial Capital of Germany,while also overseeing consular services for the Indian community and businesses in Germany.[6]
From July 2013 to January 2017,Sandhu served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington,D.C.,United States. As the second-senior most diplomat at the mission,he played a key role in advancing the India–United States strategic partnership and coordinating high-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries. During this period,he worked closely with senior officials in both governments and contributed to preparations for high-level visits,including Narendra Modi’s first ever visit to the United States of America and to the United Nations in 2014,during the visit the Modi meet with PresidentBarack Obama. His tenure also involved strengthening political,economic,and strategic cooperation between India and the United States while managing the day-to-day functioning of the embassy.[7][8][9]
High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka
From January 2017 to January 2020,Sandhu served as the High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka. In this role,he was responsible for strengthening bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka,including in areas of trade,security,and regional cooperation. He played a key role in fostering political dialogue between India and Sri Lanka due to the BRI initiative of the Chinese government and supporting developmental and cultural initiatives,while also overseeing the operations of the High Commission and engaging with the Indian diaspora specially Tamils in Sri Lanka.[10]
Ambassador of India to the United States
Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu presenting credentials to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office
Prime Minister Narendra Modi,NSA Ajit Doval,External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar,Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu with US President Joe Biden at the Expanded Bilateral Meeting,White House,Washington,D.C. on June 22,2023
During his tenure,India signed the Artemis Accords,representing a notable advancement in its engagement with international space governance and lunar initiatives.[15]
In the aftermath of the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada,Sandhu navigated criticisms and security concerns raised by elements of the Khalistani activist in the United States. Certain individuals,including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun,who is a terrorist,mentioned in the NIA Most Wanted list,issued threats directed toward the Ambassador and Embassy personnel,which were addressed in accordance with established diplomatic protocols.[17][18][19]
Following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir,the Government of India constituted an all-party delegation to engage with international stakeholders and present India’s perspective on the incident. The delegation,led by Shashi Tharoor of the Indian National Congress,included representatives from multiple parties:Bhubaneswar Kalita (Bharatiya Janata Party),Milind Murli Deora (Shiv Sena),Shashank Mani Tripathi (Bharatiya Janata Party),Ganti Harish Madhur (Telugu Desam Party),and former Ambassador of India to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu. In his capacity as a senior diplomat,Sandhu played a key role in coordinating the delegation’s engagement in the United States,facilitating high-level discussions with policymakers,articulating India’s response to the terror attack,and advocating measures to counter terror financing and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism,consistent with international diplomatic norms.[24]
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
On the evening of 5 March 2026,he was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. This appointment occurred shortly before the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election,following the resignation of C. V. Ananda Bose from the Governorship of West Bengal. On the same day,the central government concurrently appointed Sandhu and R. N. Ravi to the gubernatorial offices of their respective states,reflecting a strategic administrative realignment of key constitutional positions.[25][26][27]
Ambassador Sandhu is married to Reenat Sandhu,a retired Indian ambassador to Italy and to The Netherlands. They have two children,a son and a daughter. His interests include books,movies and outdoor sports. He speaks Hindi,English,Punjabi and Russian[28]
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