Neelam Deo

Neelam Deo

Director, Gateway House

Neelam Deo has served as the Indian Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast with concurrent accreditation to Niger, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. She has also served in the Indian embassies in Rome, Bangkok and Washington D.C., where she liaised with the U.S. Congress, the State Department, and the National Security Council on strategic issues. Her last assignment was as Consul General in New York from 2005 to 2008. During the course of her assignments in the Ministry of External Affairs, she held the position of Joint Secretary for the divisions dealing with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives. At different times over the course of her career, she has dealt with Bhutan, South East Asia and the Pacific, as well as countries in West Asia and North Africa. She is an invited speaker on strategic issues and India-U.S. relations at numerous think tanks and universities, in India, Europe and the United States. Apart from her articles and commentaries written exclusively for Gateway House, Neelam occasionally writes for mainstream publications, and is a frequent commentator for television news channels. She has a Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Indian Foreign Affairs Journal. She is also a member of the board of Oxfam India and is a trustee of Breakthrough (a human rights organization). She is an independent director on the boards of Mahindra CIE Automotive Limited and Mahindra Defence Systems Limited.
Expertise

Africa, Foreign Policy, India's Bilateral Relations, USA

Last modified: September 13, 2017

Recent projects

9,11 neelam akshay piece_210x140 Courtesy: Scott Hudson/Flickr
10 September 2011 Gateway House

9/11: India, still waiting for peace

India's security concerns seem to grow weaker by the year. The dangerous political polarity, a paralysed ruling coalition, a fractured opposition, a popular distaste for a corrupt polity and complicit bureaucracy, and a slowing economy, has handicapped any progress towards this issue.
bangaldesh trip piece Courtesy: PMO
9 September 2011 Gateway House

India-Bangladesh: Like U.S.-Canada? Someday, maybe.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka was, by and large, a success; but poor internal coordination hampered the greater possibilities of the visit. India and Bangladesh can now explore new prospects, on maritime issues, oil and gas and environmental concerns in the Sundarbans.
Sonia_Gandhi Courtesy: Yann/WikimediaCommons
4 August 2011 Gateway House

Gandhi dynasty: Politics as usual

As Sonia Gandhi receives medical treatment in the U.S., foreign - and not Indian - media reported about the leader of the Congress Party. Can Indians hope that the party will have the maturity to elect one from amongst itself or will the limp Indian opposition cohere into a credible force?
us india dialogue 210x140 Courtesy: U.S.DepartmentofState/Flickr
19 July 2011 Gateway House

India-U.S.: Converging interests, at last

The upcoming strategic dialogue between India and the U.S. could prove significant: deepening people-to-people ties via the diaspora and collaboration on regional solutions could also enhance bilateral ties. Can this dialogue turn out to be a game changer in India-U.S. relations?
bangladesh article_210x140 Courtesy: PMO
15 July 2011 Gateway House

The Bangladesh bilateral: Looking to the future

The constant engagement between India and Bangladesh in the recent past has garnered a more suitable political atmosphere for enhanced bilateral relations. Looking beyond political blunders and focusing on socio-economic cooperation is at the advantage of both nations.
Thaksinbeschermddemocratieyeahright_210x140 Courtesy: WaltervanKalken/Flickr
7 July 2011 Gateway House

Thailand: Democracy in, monarchy out

Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of formerly deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has been elected to power. Yingluck's win marks a move towards a move democratic Thailand and possibly the end of the Thai monarchy.
schengen spirit of openness Courtesy: FourthFloor/Flickr
23 June 2011 Gateway House

The Schengen spirit of openness

Despite their economic downturns, domestic tensions keep developed countries from embracing the revitalizing potential of foreign workers. Ambassador Neelam Deo argues that India should continue to leverage its history of diversity and capitalize on a world more open to the free flow of goods and services.
brics leaders_210x140 Courtesy: dilmarousseff/Flickr
6 June 2011 Gateway House

BRICS: Convergence or dissonance?

As Europe stands united in its support for France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde as a candidate to head the International Monetary Fund, many have begun to question if BRICS is truly an effective and united bloc. Will they be able to put forth a candidate all emerging countries can support?