Amb. Mahesh Sachdev
Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev retired from Indian Foreign Service in October 2013. His 35-year diplomatic career included three Ambassadorial assignments spanning 11 years to Algeria, Norway and Nigeria – all major oil exporters. Nearly half of his diplomatic career was spent dealing with the Middle East. He is fluent in Arabic and knows some French.
Amb. Sachdev is currently the President of Eco-Diplomacy & Strategies, a consultancy in Delhi. He was Founder-President of the UAE-India Business Council and a Consultant to Jamia Millia Islamia University. He has authored two well received “Business Manuals” on Nigeria (Sept 2014; second edition in Oct. 2018) and the UAE (Sept 2016). He comments on strategic, economic and cross-cultural issues in media in India, Gulf and Africa.
Hydrocarbon sector and Middle East have been two major politico-economic foci of Amb Sachdev’s career. He studied Arabic in Damascus (1980-83) and was First Secretary (Political) in Saudi Arabia (1983-86). His 9 years in two stints at the Foreign Ministry Headquarters anchored his ME expertise: He served as Deputy Secretary/Director (1988-95) for Gulf countries and Joint Secretary of West Asia – North Africa (2002-03). In particular, he handled sensitive ties with Saudi Arabia and the GCC states. He was ambassador to Algeria and Nigeria – Africa’s prominent economies and markets; his tenures totalling 8 years saw surge in bilateral ties.
Amb. Sachdev’s eco-commercial felicity extends beyond hydrocarbons. Under his watch (2008-13), India’s exports to Nigeria tripled making India Nigeria’s largest trading partner with direct trade touched $17 bn – a record. India’s investments in Nigeria grew to over $11 bn, two third of them during his stint. Earlier as India’s Minister to the EU (Brussels; 1995-98), he successfully handled complex and far-reaching trade policy issues. As Ambassador to Norway, he persuaded NBIM, their Sovereign Wealth Fund, to begin investing in India. These are now put at $9 bn. Indian exports of pharma and automobiles commenced during his term in Algeria. Few of his other successes were: acquisition of oil assets in (South) Sudan, negotiations with Algeria’s Sonatrach, ONGC-Norse Hydro/Statoil negotiations and OVL/OMEL/Sterling Blocks in Nigeria.
As an economic strategist and consultant for over five years, Amb Sachdev has selectively helped stakeholders to cut through the irrational ‘conventional wisdom’, identify lucrative opportunities, avoid pitfalls and design a win-win synergy.
Amb Sachdev studied at Rajghat Besant School at Varanasi, B.Sc.(Hons) at Meerut University (Topper & Best Graduate of 1973) and M.Sc.M.Phil. (Nuclear Physics) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He is a life member of Mensa Society. Despite multiple achievements, Amb. Mahesh Sachdev, 65, remains a self-made person rooted in ground reality. He lives in New Delhi with his wife and son. He has a website: www.eco-diplomacy.com and is contactable at his ID: amb.sachdev@eco-diplomacy.com.
Amb.Sachdev’s Contributions in Public Domain
Books
(available at www.amazon.in and www.amazon.com)
- Nigeria: A Business Manual (First Edition; Sept. 2014)
- UAE: A Business Manual (First Edition; Sept. 2016)
- Nigeria: A Business Manual (Second Edition; Oct. 2018)
Articles, Presentations, etc.
(a) On Nigeria & Africa
A clear arc from India to Nigeria (Comment in The Hindu; June 10, 2019)
Algeria after Bouteflika (Comment in The Hindu; April 11, 2019)
Panel Discussion on Opportunities in Africa and How can Indian Companies Leverage Them – CNBC – TV18 – July, 2017 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETALMs43PPw )
An Article on “Spain, India Top Export Destinations for Nigeria’s Oil” – (ThisDay – Jun 5, 2015)
“Terrorism in Sub Saharan Africa” – A PowerPoint Presentation
“Positives changes on the cards in Nigeria” – (The Hindu – Apr 04, 2015)
“A Nigerian Look at Indian Elections Wahala” (ThisDay; May 2014)
An Article on Boko Haram (Deccan Herald on 14 May 2014)
An Article on “High Noon for India in Africa” – (The Hindu, Aug 25, 2014)
An Article on “Why Nigeria matters” – (Business Standard, Nov 24 2013)
Farewell Address by Former High Commissioner Mahesh Sachdev at Indian High Commission, Lagos October 2013
(b) On Gulf and South West Asia, etc:
“India and Saudi Arabia: New Paradigms across the Arabian Sea” (Cover Story in India Review and Analysis; Sept 16, 2018)
“Hydrocarbons and Future of the Gulf” – A PowerPoint Presentation at Jamia Millia Islamia on Jan 24 2018
“South West Asian Geopolitics: Recent Developments & Implications for India” – A PPP at Jamia Millia Islamia on Jan 18 2018
An Article “Endgame in Syria” – The Hindu Nov 24 2017
An Article on “What Does 2017 Hold for South West Asia?” – Business Standard – Jan 15, 2017
An Article “Modi in Riyadh” – Gulf News – Apr 01, 2016
An Article “UAE–India Summit: Enhancing Relations” – Gulf News – Feb 09, 2016
An Article “Reversing Continental Drift” – The Hindu – Oct 14, 2015
An Article “UAE-India Summit: Shrinking the Distance” – Gulf News – Aug 13, 2015
An Article “The many facets to extremism in the Islamic world” – The Hindu – Jul 17, 2015
An Article “Comment in The Hindu on King Abdullah” – The Hindu – Jan 26, 2015
An Article “A mixed blessing for India” – The Hindu – Nov 29, 2014
A Lecture on “Indian Diplomacy through Ages”
A Lecture on “Technology and Diplomacy”
A Lecture on “Indian Economic Diplomacy”
Speech at First Benin-India Business Forum (Cotonou; May 2013)
Speech at the Inaugural Ceremony of Vedic Lifecare Clinic, Lagos
(c) Miscellaneous
A Panel Discussion on G20 Summit and Indo-US Ties at Tiranga TV on 27 June 2019 (https://youtu.be/9YQADAdX6is )
Foreword to the book titled “India’s Foreign Policy in the 21st Century” edited
by Dr Anupam Sharma
Amb. Sachdev has made seven PowerPoint Presentations on “Eco-Diplomacy and India” to Professional Course for various Foreign Diplomats at Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.