Gaddam Dharmendra
Former Indian Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran
Gaddam Dharmendra is the former Dean, Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. He was India’s Ambassador to Iran (February 2019 - May 2023), High Commissioner to Zambia (October 2013 - July 2017); Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau SAR (September 2010 - October 2013); Counsellor in India’s High Commission in Bangladesh (August 2003 - June 2007). At the Ministry, he has also served as Additional Secretary, Policy Planning and Research Division, and as Joint Secretary in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division.
Navdeep Singh Suri
Former Indian Ambassador to UAE
Navdeep Suri completed a 36-year career in the Indian Foreign Service in 2019, having served in diplomatic missions in Cairo, Damascus, Washington, Dar es Salaam, and London and as India’s Consul General in Johannesburg. He was India’s High Commissioner to Australia and Ambassador to Egypt and UAE. He is a commentator on geopolitical and geoeconomics developments in the Middle East and has co-edited ORF-Global Policy books ‘A 2030 Vision for India’s Economic Diplomacy,’ ‘I2U2: Pathways for a new minilateral’ and ‘IMEC: Towards a new discourse in global connectivity’. The President of UAE conferred on him the Order of Zayed II, the country’s second-highest civilian award in 2019.
Deepika Saraswat
Associate Fellow, West Asia Centre, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA)
Deepika Saraswat is an Associate Fellow at the West Asia Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). Her research interests include Iran’s geopolitics in West Asia and Eurasia, and interpenetration of religion and politics in postcolonial contexts. Earlier, she was a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs. Her book ‘Between Survival and Status: The Counter-hegemonic Geopolitics of Iran’ was published in January 2022.
Kabir Taneja
Deputy Director and Fellow, Middle East, Strategic Studies Programme, ORF
Kabir Taneja is a Deputy Director and Fellow, Middle East, with the Strategic Studies programme at Observer Research Foundation. His research focuses on India’s relations with the Middle East (West Asia) specifically looking at the domestic political dynamics terrorism non-state militant actors and the general security paradigm of the region. Kabir has authored books, chapters, journal articles and op-eds. He is a regular contributor to Indian and international press and speaks frequently at international conferences.