Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, a distinguished officer of the 1987 batch of the Indian Foreign Service and the all-India women’s topper of that year’s Civil Services exam, has built a groundbreaking diplomatic career defined by several firsts. She served as India’s first female Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York until May 2024, where she led key initiatives and made history in December 2022 by becoming the first Indian woman to preside over the UN Security Council. Her trailblazing path includes being India’s first female Ambassador to Bhutan, High Commissioner to South Africa, and Permanent Representative to UNESCO in Paris—each role marked by significant contributions to India’s strategic and cultural diplomacy. From 2011 to 2014, she served as India’s first woman Chief of Protocol, overseeing high-level diplomatic engagements that enhanced India’s global profile. Earlier in her career, she held key postings in Paris, Mauritius, New York, and Cape Town, and from 2009 to 2011, she was seconded to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London as a staff officer to the Secretary-General. Ambassador Kamboj’s career reflects a consistent record of leadership, excellence, and pioneering service in Indian diplomacy.