Richard Verma serves as the 25th United States Ambassador to India. He was nominated by President Obama on September 18th, 2014, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn in by Secretary of State John Kerry in December 2014. Ambassador Verma oversees one of the largest U.S. Missions in the world, including four consulates across India and nearly every agency of the U.S. government.
As a former Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs in the Obama Administration, he led the State Department’s efforts on Capitol Hill and served as a senior member of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s team.
Ambassador Verma previously worked in the Senate as the Senior National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid. He also worked in the House of Representatives for longtime Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee, Jack Murtha. He is veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate. Rich was also a country director for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in Eastern Europe.
The Ambassador has a distinguished career in the private sector, serving as partner at the global law firm of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and as Senior Counselor to the Albright Stonebridge Group. His practice focused on international law and regulatory issues, with a specialization in Asia and emerging markets. Ambassador Verma was also a Senior National Security Fellow at the Center for American Progress, a Washington DC-based think tank.
In 2008, he was appointed a Commissioner to the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission chaired by Senators Graham and Talent. He is a co-author of their landmark report, "World at Risk." The Ambassador is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and served on the Boards of the Clinton Foundation, the National Democratic Institute, and Human Rights First. He also was a member of the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board from 2011 to 2014.
Ambassador Verma is the recipient of the State Department's Distinguished Service Award, the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship, and was ranked by India Abroad as one of the 50 most influential Indian Americans. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal. Ambassador Verma holds degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center (LLM), American University's Washington College of Law (JD), and Lehigh University (BS).
https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/235927.htm