New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh)— Taranjit Singh Sandhu, a seasoned former diplomat and India’s former Ambassador to the United States, is scheduled to be sworn in as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. The official ceremony will take place at 1:30 PM at Lok Niwas (formerly known as Raj Niwas), where the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court will administer the oath of office.
The transition follows the appointment of the outgoing Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, as the new LG of Ladakh. Officials confirmed on Monday that preparations are already in full swing at Lok Niwas for the high-profile event. Earlier in the day, Sandhu visited the residence to meet with Saxena, who is currently in the process of moving out before his own swearing-in ceremony in Ladakh, scheduled for this coming Friday.
A Distinguished Career in Diplomacy
A 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, the 63-year-old Sandhu brings decades of high-level international experience to the national capital’s administration. His career is marked by a deep expertise in Indo-US relations, having served in Washington D.C. in multiple capacities over nearly three decades:
- Ambassador to the US (2020–2024): Led the Indian mission during a critical period of bilateral growth.
- Deputy Chief of Mission (2013–2017): Managed daily operations at the embassy in Washington.
- Permanent Mission to the UN (2005–2009): Represented India’s interests on the global stage in New York.
- Political Liaison (1997–2000): Served as First Secretary with the responsibility of liaising with the US Congress.
Following his retirement from the foreign service, Sandhu entered active politics and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from his home constituency of Amritsar on a BJP ticket. Although he was unsuccessful in that electoral bid, his appointment as Delhi’s LG signals the central government’s intent to utilize his administrative and strategic acumen in managing the complex governance of the national capital.
