DIMC Delegation Met Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra,

DG, ICCR, Discusses Diaspora Issues & Future Plans  

By Priyanka Joshi

New Delhi, May 22, 2019: A high level delegation of Diaspora India Media and Communication's (DIMC) officials met with Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra, a highly decorated and a brilliant Indian Foreign Service Officer (IFS) of 1989 batch, and currently serving as Director General (DG), Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at his office in New Delhi. Before joining as DG, ICCR on 25th of February 2019, Shri Akhilesh Mishra was Indian Ambassador to the Maldives (2016-19) and Consul General of India in Toronto, Canada (2013-16). 

The DIMC delegation included Pooran Chandra Pandey, (https://bit.ly/2JA3Fnw), Founder Trustee and Chairman and Onkareshwar Pandey (http://bit.ly/2mh7hih), Senior Journalist and Founder Managing Trustee of DIMC, a pan India not-for-profit organization to help and support Indian Diaspora with their pressing matters and also by undertaking programs, initiatives and policy-related research through partnerships and collaborations both in India and internationally, was also present during the meeting.

DIMC was set up in the year 2013 and has since attracted attention for its Diaspora and related works and initiatives both in the country and also internationally. 

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During the meeting, DIMC officials talked about the activities of DIMC in supporting Indian Diaspora and future plans of the Organization. Ambassador Mishra welcomed the ideas and issues for DIMC's involvement for cooperation in promotion of India's soft power both in the region and beyond.

Ambassador Mishra also shared his wide-ranging experiences in dealing with Indian Diaspora during his long stints across continents and recalled their contribution as a 'soft power' and their being ambassadors for India in true sense. He also said he will be happy to extend potential support for the organization's onward journey and progress. 

He, during the meeting, also shared his experience from his recent previous ambassadorial tenure in Maldives and some key developments there in the country, in particular, related to art, culture, philosophy along India's bilateral cooperation in South Asian region, in general as a consequence of array of developments in the sphere of literature and people to people exchange and engagement with the youth between the two important South Asian nations.   

Being a career diplomat, Ambassador Mishra held several key positions including Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and headed the Northern Division dealing with India's relations with Nepal and Bhutan. He was also Joint Secretary in charge of Multilateral Economic Relations Division, Deputy Chief of Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan (2008-10); Deputy High Commissioner in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (2005-08); Dy Consul Gen in San Francisco, USA (2001-05); Dy. Secy in the MEA, (1999-2001); and in different capacities in Indian embassies in Kathmandu, Nepal (1996-99); Rome, Italy (1993-96) and Lima, Peru (1991-93). 

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Ambassador Mishra holds Bachelor of Technology and Master of Technology degrees in Mechanical Engineering, from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Banaras Hindu University (BHU). 

He has since been assigned a key responsibility as DG, ICCR now to foster and strengthen cultural relations between India and other countries as a means to advance and promote Indian soft power both within the region and internationally. 

He is multilingual and speaks Spanish, Italian and Nepalese, English, Hindi and Sanskrit with ease and has keen interest in Indian culture, art, philosophy, poetry, yoga and meditation.

Thank you, Ambassador Mishra for sparing your precious time in meeting and benefiting us with your knowledge, experience and views on growing role of Indian art, education, yoga, language, literature, dance and culture in contemporary and emerging global order. 

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