Vaibhu at 11:03, 30 March 2026

2026-03-30T11:03:15Z

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{{Short description|Indian civil servant (born 1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sibi George
| honorific_suffix = [[Indian Foreign Service|IFS]]
| image = [[File:Sibi George Profile.jpg|Sibi George Profile]]
| office = Secretary (West), [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]]
| prime_minister = [[Narendra Modi]]
| minister = [[Subrahmanyam Jaishankar]]
| term_start = 1 September 2025
| term_end =
| predecessor = Tanmaya Lal
| successor =
| office1 = [[List of ambassadors of India to Japan|Ambassador of India to Japan]]
| term_start1 = {{Start date|2022|11|01|df=yes}}
| term_end1 = 31 August 2025
| predecessor1 = [[Sanjay Kumar Verma]]
| successor1 = [[Nagma Mallick]]
| prime_minister1 = [[Narendra Modi]]
| office2 = [[List of Ambassadors and High Commissioners of India|Ambassador of India to Kuwait]]
| term_start2 = {{Start date|2020|8|01|df=yes}}
| term_end2 = {{End date|2022|10|31|df=yes}}
| predecessor2 = K Jeeva Sagar
| successor2 = Dr Adarsh Swaika
| prime_minister2 = [[Narendra Modi]]
| office3 = [[List of Ambassadors and High Commissioners of India|Ambassador of India to Switzerland, the Holy See and Liechtenstein]]
| term_start3 = {{Start date|2017|11||df=yes}}
| term_end3 = {{End date|2020|08||df=yes}}
| predecessor3 = Smitha Purushotham
| successor3 = [[Monika Kapil Mohta]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|05|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Pala, Kerala|Pala]], [[Kottayam district|Kottayam]], [[Kerala]], India
| education = [[Master of Arts]] (Political Science)
| alma_mater = [[St. Thomas College, Palai]]
| occupation = [[Indian Foreign Service|IFS]]
| spouse = Joice Sibi
| awards = [[Shilendra Kumar Singh|S.K. Singh Award]], 2014
| profession = [[Civil Servant]]
| blank1 = Rank
| data1 = [[Secretary to the Government of India|Secretary]]
}}

'''Sibi George''' (born 20 May 1967) is an [[Indian people|Indian]] [[diplomat]] from the 1993 batch of the [[Indian Foreign Service]] who now serves as the [[Secretary to the Government of India|Secretary (West)]] in [[Ministry of External Affairs, India]] since 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sudhakar Dalela Appointed New Secretary (Economic Relations), Sibi George As Secretary (West) In MEA |url=https://thesecretariat.in/article/sudhakar-dalela-appointed-new-secretary-economic-relations-sibi-george-as-secretary-west-in-mea |access-date=2025-08-23 |website=The secretariat |language=en}}</ref> Previously, he has served as the Ambassador of India to [[Japan]]. He has previously served as Ambassador of India to [[Kuwait]], [[Switzerland]], the [[Holy See]] (Vatican City), as well as the Principality of [[Liechtenstein]]. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ambassador Sibi George, Ambassador of India-designate to Japan |url=https://www.indembassy-tokyo.gov.in/eoityo_pages/MQ,, |website=Embassy of India, Japan |access-date=7 November 2022}}</ref>

In 2014, the [[Government of India]] conferred on him the [[Shilendra Kumar Singh|S.K. Singh Award]] for Excellence in [[Indian Foreign Service]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/indian-diplomat-in-saudi-arabia-sibi-george-wins-s-k-singh-award-114030601055_1.html|title=Indian Diplomat in Saudi Arabia Sibi George wins S.K. Singh award|date=6 March 2014|via=Business Standard}}</ref> This award was conferred upon him during his post as Deputy Chief of Mission to [[Riyadh]], [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.netindian.in/news/national/sibi-george-wins-s-k-singh-award-excellence-indian-foreign-service|title=Sibi George wins S K Singh Award for Excellence in Indian Foreign Service|first=NetIndian|last=News Network|website=NetIndian}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
George was born in [[Pala, Kerala]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2017/10/22/kerala-sibi-george-ambassador-india-switzerland.html|title=Keralite Sibi George appointed ambassador of India to Switzerland|website=OnManorama}}</ref>
He is a gold medallist graduate of [[St. Thomas College, Palai]] and has a Master of Arts in Political Science. He also holds a diploma in [[Arabic]] from [[The American University in Cairo]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indembassybern.gov.in/page/amb-profile/|title=Embassy of India, Berne, Switzerland : Ambassador Profile}}</ref>

==Career==
Joining the [[Indian Foreign Service]] in 1993, George began his diplomatic career in [[Cairo]] where he served in the Mission as Political Officer. Subsequently he moved to the Indian Embassy in [[Doha]], [[Qatar]] where he handled Consular, Community, Information and Media affairs as First Secretary. Later he served as Political Counsellor in Indian High Commission in [[Islamabad]], [[Pakistan]] and as Political Counsellor and Commercial Counsellor at Indian Embassy in [[Washington DC]]. He also served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Indian Missions in [[Tehran]], [[Iran]] and [[Riyadh]], [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/nri/malayali-ifs-officer-sibi-george-to-be-appointed-as-indian-ambassador-to-kuwait-1.4730018|title=Malayali IFS officer Sibi George to be appointed as Indian Ambassador to Kuwait|first=P. C.|last=Hareesh|website=Mathrubhumi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uniindia.com/sibi-george-appointed-indian-envoy-to-kuwait/india/news/2021271.html|title=Sibi George appointed Indian envoy to Kuwait}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iflkuwait.com/notice-board/36248-h-e-sibi-george-will-be-the-india-s-new-ambassador-to-kuwait|title=H.E. Sibi George will be the India's new Ambassador to Kuwait ???|website=www.iflkuwait.com}}</ref>

At headquarters of [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] in New Delhi, he served in East Asia Division and also as coordinator of [[India–Africa Forum Summit]]. He later headed Administration, Establishment and Welfare Divisions in the Ministry of External Affairs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://namasteswitzerland.ch/2018/03/08/meet-the-ambassador-of-india-h-e-mr-sibi-george/|title=Meet the Ambassador of India, H.E. Mr. Sibi George|date=7 March 2018}}</ref>

He was accredited as the Ambassador of India to [[Switzerland]], the [[Holy See]] (Vatican City) and the Principality of [[Liechtenstein]] in November, 2017 and [[Kuwait]] in 2020. During his post, he handled the high profile visits of Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] in January 2018, who visited Switzerland to deliver the keynote address at the [[World Economic Forum|World Economic Forum's]] Annual Meeting 2018 in [[Davos]] and the recent state visit of President [[Ram Nath Kovind]] to Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/01/narendra-modi-davos-these-are-the-3-greatest-threats-to-civilization/|title=Narendra Modi: These are the 3 greatest threats to civilization|website=World Economic Forum}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ddnews.gov.in/national/president-kovind-switzerland-second-leg-his-3-nation-visit|title=President Kovind in Switzerland on second leg of his 3-Nation visit | DD News|website=ddnews.gov.in}}</ref> The President also attended an Indian Community and Friends of India reception hosted by Sibi George<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://presidentofindia.gov.in/|title=The President of India|website=presidentofindia.gov.in}}</ref>

==Awards==
George was presented the S.K. Singh Award for Excellence in Indian Foreign Service by Former Vice President of India [[Mohammad Hamid Ansari]]. He was congratulated for his services in aiding the Indian expatriates during the Saudi Arabian [[Saudization|Nitaqat]] scheme, a law aimed at giving preferential employment to locals, and involving a drive to identify illegal migrant workers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.com/news/536656|title=Indian VP honors envoy for excellence in foreign service|date=8 March 2014|website=Arab News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.babusofindia.com/2014/03/indias-deputy-chief-of-mission-in-saudi.html|title=India's deputy chief of mission in Saudi Arabia Sibi George gets 3rd SK Singh Award|first=BoI|last=Team}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.siasat.com/news/indian-diplomat-saudi-arabia-sibi-george-wins-sk-singh-award-549341/|title=Indian Diplomat in Saudi Arabia Sibi George wins S.K. Singh award|date=30 November 2013}}</ref> The Indian Embassy negotiated solutions for all the Indians needing help. About 100,000 returned home, while the Embassy and the volunteers worked towards regularising the status of 1.4 million Indians who wanted to stay in Saudi Arabia.<ref>[https://www.telegraphindia.com/1131118/jsp/nation/story_17582771.jsp]{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalworkplaceinsider.com/2013/11/the-nitaqat-program-what-employers-in-saudi-arabia-need-to-know/|title=The Nitaqat Program: what employers in Saudi Arabia need to know|date=11 November 2013|website=Global Workplace Insider}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He is married to artist Joice John Pampoorethu. They have three children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.q8india.com/blog/2020/04/30/h-e-sibi-george-will-indias-new-ambassador-kuwait/|title=H.E. Sibi George will be the India's new Ambassador to Kuwait|date=30 April 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}

* [http://www.indembassybern.ch/eoi.php?id=Ambassador Ambassador’s Bio Data], Embassy of India, Berne
* https://www.indembkwt.gov.in/Ambassador.php

{{Authority control}}

{{Ambassadors of India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Sibi}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Kerala]]
[[Category:People from Pala, Kerala]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Switzerland]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to the Holy See]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Kuwait]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Liechtenstein]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:1967 births]]

Sibi George - Revision history

Vaibhu at 11:03, 30 March 2026