Nirupama Rao is a former Foreign Secretary of India, the country’s highest diplomatic office. She was the first woman to serve as India’s Ambassador to both Sri Lanka and China, later serving as Ambassador to the United States. In her distinguished diplomatic career, she represented India in key capitals and subsequently held academic appointments at institutions including Brown University and Columbia University. She is the author of ‘The Fractured Himalaya: India, Tibet, China, 1949–1962’ and of the poetry collection ‘Rain Rising’. She serves on several boards and advisory councils including the International Crisis Group, and is the Founder-Trustee of the South Asian Symphony Foundation. She is a widely read commentator on international affairs and has just completed a new book on India’s image in the world.