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Shri Hemant H. Kotalwar, Ambassador to the Czech Republic


Date of Birth: 11 May 1972      
                                            

Hemant H Kotalwar assumed charge as the Ambassador of India to the Czech Republic in September 2020. He is an Indian Foreign Service Officer of 1996 Batch.

He received his early education in Latur, Maharashtra. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engg (Hons) from BITS Pilani, Rajasthan. Prior to joining the IFS, Hemant Kotalwar worked briefly in Central Electronics Limited, Ghaziabad, UP.

After training at the Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi, Hemant Kotalwar chose French as his Compulsory Foreign Language and was posted to the Indian Embassy in Brussels (1998-2000) where he was attached to the Economic and Political wings of the Embassy. He was then posted to Algiers (2000-2002) as Second Secretary dealing with  Political and Economic Affairs.

He briefly served as Under Secretary in MEA on the Pakistan Desk of PAI Division and was later posted as the Regional Passport Officer, Mumbai. He returned to Delhi as the Director dealing with the office of Minister of State for External Affairs.

Hemant Kotalwar was posted as Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to WTO, Geneva from 2011 to 2014 where he dealt with trade negotiations dealing with Development and IPR issues. In 2014 he was posted as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Apart from handling political, economic, Energy and consular issues, he also  coordinated the evacuation of thousands of Indian nationals from Yemen when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attacked Yemen in 2015.

He returned to the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi in 2017 and was posted on deputation to the National Security Council Secretariat.

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