Anand Sharma

Date of Birth: 05/01/1953
Place of Birth: Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)

An experienced Africanist, Sharma's appointment as a Deputy Minister in the Foreign Ministry shows how seriously India is taking its new Africa strategy.

Born in 1953, Sharma trained as a lawyer at Himachal Pradesh University. As a candidate for the Indian National Congress, he was first elected to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, in 1984. He later served six years as INC Spokesman, before joining the Foreign Ministry in 2006.

His African ties date to when he was Chairman of the Indian Anti-Apartheid Movement (1989-1994). In 1994, he was the Commonwealth Secretary General's observer to the general election in South Africa. Sharma later served on several occasions as the Prime Minister's special envoy to South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia.

These ties served him well in July, as he was despatched to build support for the United States-India nuclear deal, which promised India civilian nuclear technology in 2006. Sharma visited Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Ethiopia, all International Atomic Energy Agency board members. Sharma's efforts paid off when the IAEA approved the deal on 1 August. The next hurdle was the 21-22 August meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, of which South Africa is a member. NSG bylaws forbid the sale of nuclear materials to India, which is not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The NSG met in Vienna to discuss making an exception. The group is to reconvene in September to make a final decision. A favourable decision would be another boost for Sharma.