India Appoints Anand Prakash as New High Commissioner to Eswatini

August 7, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

India has appointed Shri Anand Prakash, a 2009-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Eswatini, as New Delhi moves to strengthen diplomatic engagement with the southern African kingdom. Prakash, who is currently serving as a Director at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, is expected to take up the assignment shortly, according to an announcement by the ministry.

A career diplomat, Prakash joins the mission in Mbabane after serving in India’s foreign policy establishment. The Ministry of External Affairs has not released details of his previous overseas postings, but his appointment comes at a time when India is placing greater emphasis on expanding partnerships with African countries through trade, development cooperation and capacity building.

India and Eswatini have maintained diplomatic relations since 1970, with cooperation spanning agriculture, education, healthcare, skills development and technology. India opened its resident mission in Mbabane in 2019, a move that marked a shift towards deeper political and economic engagement with the kingdom. The two countries have also worked through India’s development cooperation programmes, including the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, which provides training and capacity-building opportunities for officials and professionals from partner countries.

Eswatini, a landlocked country in southern Africa with a population of about 1.2 million people, has sought to attract investment and expand economic partnerships beyond traditional markets. India has identified Africa as a key region for expanding commercial ties, with cooperation increasingly focused on pharmaceuticals, agriculture, digital technology, energy and infrastructure. Prakash’s appointment comes as India continues to recalibrate its diplomatic footprint across Africa, where competition among major powers has intensified around investment, trade and strategic partnerships.

Source: FSX Business News