Ambassador Eric Garcetti

Former Consul General to India in Los Angeles; Former Mayor of Los Angeles

Eric Garcetti is an American diplomat, public servant, and civic leader who most recently served as the United States Ambassador to India from 2023 to 2025, where he led one of America’s largest diplomatic missions and helped strengthen strategic cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies. During his tenure, he advanced U.S.-India collaboration across trade, clean energy, defense, technology, education, and climate diplomacy, while overseeing record growth in visa processing, student exchange programs, and bilateral economic engagement. Prior to his diplomatic service, Garcetti served as the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 to 2022. Elected as the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century, he led Los Angeles through a period of major economic growth, expanded public transit and infrastructure investment, climate and sustainability initiatives, and the successful bid to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Before becoming mayor, he served for twelve years on the Los Angeles City Council, including six years as Council President. Following his ambassadorship, Garcetti became Ambassador for Global Climate Diplomacy for C40 Cities, where he works with cities, states, and regional governments around the world to advance international climate cooperation and urban sustainability initiatives. A Rhodes Scholar finalist and former Navy Reserve officer, Garcetti has taught diplomacy and international affairs at both the University of Southern California and Occidental College. He holds degrees from Columbia University, the London School of Economics, and University of Oxford. Over the course of his career, he has been recognized for his leadership in urban innovation, sustainability, public service, and international diplomacy.