Nirupama Menon Rao, served as the first woman spokesperson of the Indian foreign office, as the first Indian woman High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, and the first Indian woman Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. In her career spanning nearly four decades, the retired Foreign Secretary of India was also India’s Ambassador to the United States of America. In retirement she has taught at Brown and Columbia Universities and is the author of “The Fractured Himalaya: India Tibet China 1949 to 1962”, published by Penguin. She is the founder of the South Asian Symphony Orchestra, a project to promote greater understanding and harmony among South Asians across the world. She has also been a prolific writer, poet and public speaker, sharing her insights and experiences on various global and regional issues. Nirupama is an inspiration and a role model for women who aspire to pursue a career in diplomacy and public service.
- What was your dream job in your growing up days?
I aspired to be a diplomat from a very young age. I read voraciously over and above what one studied in school and was intensely curious about the world around me. My parents encouraged my love of history and current affairs. I studied all over India as my father was an army officer and from a very young age, one had a pan-Indian outlook. I grew up in a very cosmopolitan atmosphere although we led very simple lives. I was a University gold medallist in Bangalore University in 1970 and also topped Marathwada University in my M.A. examination in 1972. I joined the Indian Foreign Service at the age of 22, after completing my university education. I was an all-India topper in the Civil Services Examination for 1973 in both the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). - When you began your career, did you ever imagine that you would have a leadership role in this profession? What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?
I aspired to excel in whatever I did and also had an infinite capacity for diligent, hard work in a focused manner. That was a propellant on my life’s journey. In life we all encounter challenges and the test is how you overcome them. I lived in places very far from India and from my family because of work requirements. My curiosity and enthusiasm about acquiring new knowledge wherever I went, making friends, and interpreting India to foreign audiences helped me immensely. I also never lost faith in the strength of my convictions and found, as the years went by, that I had immense reserves of mental resilience and inner strength, qualities inculcated in me by my parents when I was growing up. - How would you like to describe your stint as the foreign secretary of India?
Being Foreign Secretary of India was an honour and privilege that I shall always remain humbled by. I represented the country on the foreign policy stage across the world, contributing in a substantive manner to the making of important policy decisions, leading the community of Indian diplomats in our embassies and consulates across the world, and in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. Managing India’s sensitive and challenging neighbourhood relationships was a complex task, but I was never daunted by it and addressed these issues with sincerity, openness, firmness where required, vigour and precision. - Do women in your profession have a hard time getting ahead in their career? Who inspired you and how?
I would say that more and more women in my profession are today playing leading roles, and they are recognised for their professional merit, excellence, and domain-knowledge. I approached my career with the determination to excel and to be better than the best. My concentration never strayed. Of course, in every sphere of public service, we must have more and more women represented. With more representation, our voices become stronger and more effective. - As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career? What have been the biggest highpoints in your journey so far?
To be honest, I never encountered any significant barrier. Hurdles exist to be overcome, with perseverance and persistence. The words “surrender, or give-up” never existed for me. The highpoints in my journey were my work on relations between India and China, becoming the first woman spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, becoming India’s first woman High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, and the first Indian woman Ambassador to China, and of course, Foreign Secretary of India. In retirement, I have discovered the joys of teaching, and sharing my knowledge with young students, and also founded a peace project with my husband, Sudhakar —the South Asian Symphony Orchestra (www.symphonyofsouthasia.org) - How good are you at planning your time? How do you balance work, other passions and life responsibilities?
I tend to be an organised person and have learnt to navigate the digital space in the management of my schedule and organising my daily life. I am relatively tech-savvy and enjoy the ease that digital technologies bring to you today in communication and organisation. - What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders? Do you experience resistance when you are leading men?
I say to my women cohorts, believe in the strength of your convictions, build inner confidence, be resilient and brave, and persevere. For millennia this has been a male-dominated world. That is now changing. ‘Gender’ is more than just a simple mantra today, it is a movement, it is a revolution and it is changing the ways of the world. We can take strength and inspiration from that. Our voices are being increasingly heard. Swami Vivekananda once said: “There is no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is not possible to a bird to fly on one wing”. - Tell us about your passion for music and the books you have written? Also something about your teaching at some of the top schools across the world?
I have been passionate about music since I was a very young girl. I enjoy singing and believe the connections between music, poetry and diplomacy are many-faceted. I also believe in the power of music for peace. The South Asian Symphony Orchestra, which I founded reflects that closely-held belief. I write poetry. I write on geopolitical issues. In 2004, my book of poems “Rain Rising” was published. In 2021, my book “The Fractured Himalaya: India Tibet China 1949 to 1962” was published by Penguin Random House. Additionally, my recent writings can be accessed at www.clippings.me/nirupamamenonrao. In retirement I have taught on the subject of Indian foreign policy and India in the World, at Brown and Columbia Universities in the United States, an experience that was very interesting and fulfilling, as I enjoyed the experience of working with the young undergraduate students I taught very much. - Have you ever been so discouraged you wanted to quit? How do you encourage women to not give up?
I am not a quitter by nature! I remember the official motto of the city of Paris: Fluctuat nec mergitur: she is tossed by the waves, but does not sink”. That is my advice to women. I believe we are biologically wired to be resilient and resolute and well-grounded. We are not engineered to polarise, we wish to build a healthy consensus and to be problem-solvers. - What are some of the ways you stay grounded and take care of yourself? What steps do you suggest to make women more empowered in their workplaces?
I read, sing, and am careful about my diet, I love long walks, and natural surroundings away from crowded urban spaces. For women to be empowered in their workspaces, they need to lead by proven merit, sound domain knowledge, capacity for hard work, and the ability to be good team players, as well as wise and balanced leaders when called upon to lead.