Business Line | Hardeep Singh Puri is new Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Jul 08,2021

In a major cabinet reshuffle by the Narendra Modi government, Hardeep Singh Puri has been appointed as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in place of Dharmendra Pradhan who has been shifted to the Education Ministry.

Hardeep Singh Puri will also hold the additional portfolio of Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs.

In a career spanning 39 years as bureaucrat, Hardeep Singh Puri served in senior positions at the Ministries of External Affairs and Defence. He held Ambassadorial level assignments in London and Brasilia and served as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in Geneva and New York. Earlier served in India’s Missions in Tokyo and Colombo.

He has extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, served on three occasions as a member of India’s Delegation to the GATT/United Nations in Geneva including as Ambassador and Permanent Representative from 2002 to 2005. Long association with and specialization in trade-related matters and served on several Dispute Settlement Panels of the GATT and WTO.

He served as President of the United Nations Security Council in August 2011 and November 2012 and Chairman of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2011-2012.

Rameswar Teli has been appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Labour and Employment. He was earlier Minister of State for Food Processing Industries from 2019 onwards.