Curriculum Vitae of Amb. Mahesh Sachdev
Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev retired from the 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 President of Eco-Diplomacy and Strategies, a consultancy in Delhi. He is also India President of the Asian-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Distinguished Fellow at Ananta Centre. 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; 2nd edition in Oct. 2018) and the UAE (2016). He comments on strategic, economic, and cross-cultural issues in media in India, the Gulf, and Africa.
The hydrocarbon sector and the Middle East and Africa have been three 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 Middle East 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 – and his tenures, totalling 8 years, saw a surge in bilateral ties with both countries.
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 touching $17 billion – a record. India’s investments in Nigeria grew to over $11 billion, two-thirds 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 (world’s biggest), to begin investing in India. These are now put at ~$9 billion. Indian exports of pharma and automobiles commenced during his term in Algeria. A few of his other successes include: acquisition of oil assets in (South) Sudan, negotiations with Algeria’s Sonatrach, ONGC–Norse Hydro/Statoil negotiations, and OVL/OMEL/Sterling oil blocks in Nigeria.
As an economic strategist and consultant for the past decade, Amb. Sachdev has selectively helped stakeholders to cut through the irrational ‘conventional wisdom’, identify lucrative opportunities, avoid pitfalls, and devise a win-win synergy. He has also been engaged in training civil service aspirants as well as diplomats.
Amb. Sachdev studied at the prestigious Rajghat Besant School, Varanasi; completed his B.Sc. (Physics Hons) at Meerut University (Topper & Best Graduate, 1973); and earned his M.Sc. and M.Phil. (Nuclear Physics) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He is a life member of the Mensa Society. Despite multiple achievements, Amb. Mahesh Sachdev, 72, remains a self-made person rooted in ground reality. He lives in New Delhi with his wife and son.
XII. VII.MMXXV
Amb. Sachdev’s Contributions in Public Domain
(a) Books
Available at www.amazon.in and www.amazon.com
- Nigeria: A Business Manual – First Edition (September 2014)
- UAE: A Business Manual – First Edition (September 2016)
- Nigeria: A Business Manual – Second Edition (October 2018)
(b) Articles, Presentations, etc. on Nigeria & Africa
Amb. Sachdev has been a frequent contributor to Indian and foreign media on contemporary international developments, spanning both print and electronic platforms in English, Hindi, and Arabic. While his full body of work is extensive, below are the last ten English-language articles published as of June 30, 2025:
- “The Israel-Iran ceasefire — managing the blowback”, The Hindu, June 27, 2025
- “It Is The Best Of Times, It Is The Worst Of Times, For Pakistan”, NDTV, June 19, 2025
- “The endgame of a 2,611-year-old Jewish-Persian enmity”, The Hindu, June 14, 2025
- “Arab League @80: An Assessment”, Ananta Centre, May 28, 2025
- “The ongoing oil price tensions”, The Hindu, May 20, 2025
- “Amidst regional ferment, Kurds’ quest for statehood”, The Hindu, April 25, 2025
- “Thriving and Troubled Yet Unsettled: Challenges Faced by the Indian Diaspora in the Middle East”, India’s World, May 14, 2025
- “Trump & The Ayatollah: It's a Pity Both Can't Lose”, NDTV, April 2, 2025
- “Syria: Now For More Difficult Part”, Ananta Centre, March 25, 2025
- “Sudan Is Staring At A Second Partition, Thanks To Two Warlords”, NDTV, May 19, 2025