Speaker Profile: Amb. Leela K Ponappa

Ambassador Leela K. Ponappa was the Deputy National Security Advisor and Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat from May 2007 till October 2009. Ambassador Ponappa was a career diplomat and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1970. Her last appointment was as Ambassador to the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. She was also Ambssador to Thailand and Permanent Representative of India to UNESCAP (2002-2004)

Earlier, at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, Ambassador Ponappa held several positions including Additional Secretary for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives (1998-2001), Joint Secretary in charge of the Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indians Division (1992-1994) and for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) from 1986-1990.

She was seconded to the faculty of the National Defence College, New Delhi, from 1995-1998 as Senior Directing Staff. She was Research Associate at the Centre for South and Southeast Asia, University of California, Berkeley. She also dealt with India’s relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan from 1975-78 at the MEA. She has also dealt with India’s relations with its neighbours covering a wide range of issues including border negotiations; national security issues including terrorism and narcotics; sharing of river waters, disaster management and infrastructure projects; economic affairs including India-US trade and investment, negotiation and implementation of the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement; regional cooperation through SAARC, BIMSTEC and UNESCAP.