Abhay Kumar

Abhay Kumar (known mononymously as Abhay K.) is an Indian career diplomat and the author of several books including ''Nalanda: How it Changed the World.'' He was appointed as India's first resident Ambassador to Georgia. He currently serves as the deputy director general of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2003 after doing master's in geography at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Kirorimal College, Delhi University. He served as India's 21st ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros from 2019 to 2022 and as India's Deputy Ambassador to Brazil from 2016 to 2019. He earlier served as Spokesperson and First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal from 2012 to 2016 and as Acting Consul General of India in Saint Petersburg, and Third/Second Secretary at Indian Embassy, Moscow, Russia from 2005 to 2010. He served as Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of External Affairs from 2010 to 2012.

He received Bharat Shikhsa Samman 2025 and the SAARC Literary Award for his contribution to contemporary South Asian poetry. He received Asia-Pacific Excellence Award in 2014 and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2013. His poetry book ''The Seduction of Delhi'' was shortlisted for Muse India-Satish Verma Young Writer Award 2015. He has been called a 'World Poet' by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Vijay Seshadri His translation of Kalidasa's Meghaduta and Ritusamhara received Kalinga Literary Festival 2020-2021 Poetry Book of the Year Award. while The Book of Bihari Literature edited by him received KLF Book Award 2022. He recorded his poems at the Library of Congress. His poem 'The Partitioned Land' was taught at the Cornell University in the Fall 2021. His book-length poem 'Monsoon' has been chosen by Harvard University's assistant professor Sarah Dimick to study for a book project on Climate and Literature along with the two books of Amitava Ghosh. He was elected as a foreign corresponding member of Brazilian Academy of Letters in 2023. Provided by Wikipedia