Former Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin Appointed as Non-Official Director on RBI Central Board

Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Dean of the Kautilya School of Public Policy at GITAM Deemed to be University, Hyderabad, and former Ambassador of India to the United Nations, has been appointed as a Part-time, Non-Official Director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of four years, with effect from the date of notification of his appointment, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

The appointment was notified on August 22, 2026, by KundanNath, Under Secretary (EO-SM-II), Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Government of India. Along with him, Annie George Mathew and Janmejaya Kumar Sinha have also been appointed as Part-time, Non-Official Directors on the RBI Central Board.

The leadership of GITAM Deemed to be University expressed its delight at AmbassadorAkbaruddin’s appointment and congratulated him on the new responsibility, wishing him continued success in his future endeavours.

About Syed Akbaruddin

Syed Akbaruddin is a distinguished Indian diplomat of the 1985 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), with a career spanning more than three decades. He served as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN)in New York from January 2016 to April 2020. Earlier, he was the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs from January 2012 to April 2015 and served as Head of External Relations and Policy Coordination at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna from 2006 to 2011.

During his diplomatic career, Akbaruddin held several key assignments in India and abroad. He served in Cairo, Riyadh and Jeddah, developing considerable expertise in West Asian affairs. He also served as Director in the Foreign Secretary’s Office and held senior responsibilities in the Ministry of External Affairs, including leading its External Publicity and Public Diplomacy division. He was the Chief Coordinator for the India-Africa Summit held in 2015.

As India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Akbaruddin played a prominent role in advancing India’s interests at multilateral forums and was widely recognised for his effective diplomatic engagement. His tenure included significant contributions to issues such as counter-terrorism, climate change, sustainable development and international peace and security.

As Dean of the Kautilya School of Public Policy at GITAM, Akbaruddin continues to contribute to public policy education and the development of future leaders in India and beyond.