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Lindy Cameron signs off as UK envoy to India: 'Phir milenge'
The outgoing British High Commissioner leaves New Delhi to become the first woman to head the Foreign Office's civil service, handing over to her deputy Ben Miller.
Key points
- Cameron becomes the first woman Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO.
- Her deputy Ben Miller takes over as Acting High Commissioner.
- She credited the Free Trade Agreement and Vision 2035 for the ties' momentum.
Lindy Cameron, Britain’s High Commissioner to India, said goodbye to the country on Friday with a video message that ended in Hindi: “Phir milenge India, we’ll meet again soon.”
Cameron is returning to London to become Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the department’s top civil servant. She is the first woman to hold the post.
“Hello India, what a journey,” she said in the video, posted by the UK High Commission on X. “It’s been an extraordinary privilege to serve here. I think there’s nowhere quite like India.”
Trade deal and Vision 2035
Cameron pointed to the India-UK Free Trade Agreement and the Vision 2035 roadmap as the high points of her time in New Delhi. She said the trade deal had boosted both economies, and the roadmap had deepened work on defence, technology, education, innovation and climate.
“The UK-India relationship has got extraordinary momentum, and with my amazing deputy Ben Miller taking on this wonderful job as Acting High Commissioner, I know that I leave the relationship in really safe hands,” she said.
She said she had met people from government, business, education and civil society across India. “India will always have a really special place in my heart,” she said.
Her new job
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced her appointment on 10 September. “Lindy brings enormous experience across the fields of diplomacy, development and national security, and a reputation for dynamic leadership in postings across the world, most recently as High Commissioner in India,” he said at the time. Miliband also thanked Nick Dyer, who has been serving as interim Permanent Under-Secretary.