Hardeep Singh Puri (born 15 February 1952) is an Indian politician and former diplomat who is the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He served for 39 years in the Indian Foreign Service, ending as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014. He has also held the Housing and Urban Affairs and Civil Aviation portfolios in Narendra Modi‘s government.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Hardeep Singh Puri |
| Born | 15 February 1952, Delhi, India |
| Age | 74 |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Office | Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas (2021–present) |
| Earlier offices | Housing and Urban Affairs (2017–2024); Civil Aviation (2019–2021) |
| Service | Indian Foreign Service (1974–2013) |
| Education | Hindu College, University of Delhi (B.A., M.A. History) |
| Spouse | Lakshmi Puri |
| Children | 2 daughters |
Early Life
Puri was born in Delhi to a family that had come from West Punjab. He studied history at Hindu College, where he was active in the student movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan, and taught briefly at St. Stephen’s College before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1974.
Diplomatic Career
His postings included Japan, Sri Lanka, where he worked on the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka accord, and Geneva, where he handled trade negotiations. He was Deputy High Commissioner in London and Ambassador to Brazil, and served twice as Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in Geneva (2002–2005) and New York (2009–2013). During India’s term on the Security Council in 2011–12 he presided over the Council and chaired its Counter-Terrorism Committee.
Political Career
Puri joined the BJP in January 2014. In September 2017 he was made Minister of State with independent charge of Housing and Urban Affairs and later entered the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. He oversaw the Smart Cities Mission, urban housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the redevelopment of the Central Vista, including the new Parliament building. As Civil Aviation Minister during the pandemic he ran the Vande Bharat flights that brought stranded Indians home. He lost the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Promoted to cabinet rank in July 2021, he took charge of Petroleum and Natural Gas and has defended India’s purchases of discounted Russian oil.
Books
Personal Life
He is married to Lakshmi Puri, a former diplomat who was Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations. They have two daughters.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Hardeep Singh Puri born?
Hardeep Singh Puri was born on 15 February 1952 in Delhi, India and is 74 years old.
Featured image: Hardeep Singh Puri speaks at a World Environment Day session, New Delhi, 3 June 2018. Photo by Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
