India Appoints Dinesh K. Patnaik as High Commissioner to Canada Amid Diplomatic Reset

Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): India has appointed senior diplomat Dinesh K. Patnaik as its next High Commissioner to Canada, signaling a potential thaw in bilateral relations that had been strained since 2023. Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer currently serving as Ambassador to Spain, is expected to assume his new role in Ottawa shortly .
This diplomatic development coincides with Canada’s decision to appoint veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter as its High Commissioner to India, marking a reciprocal effort to restore senior diplomatic representation .
The appointments follow a June 2025 meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where both leaders agreed to restore high-level diplomatic engagement and address shared concerns, including clean energy, artificial intelligence, and counterterrorism at G7 summit. The recent appointments of Patnaik and Cooter are seen as steps toward mending the diplomatic rift and restoring cooperation between the two nations.