IndiGlobal Bureau
Gareth Wynn Owen has taken over as the British Deputy High Commissioner to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, responsible for all aspects of the UK’s work in the two Telugu States. He succeeds Andrew Fleming who served from July 2017 to July 2022.
Gareth will begin meeting with stakeholders in the coming days, a statement said. The Deputy High Commissioner fulfils a similar role to a Consul General, representing the UK government and is typically responsible for consular, visa and trade activities in their city or region.
Mr Gareth’s areas of interest include tackling climate change, forging partnerships in science and innovation and economic development. His previous overseas postings include Russia, Armenia, Iran and Azerbaijan for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said: “I am delighted to welcome Gareth to India. His strong experience building science and innovation partnerships will fit well in the Telugu region, home to an exciting tech industry. He, like I, has moved from working on the Integrated Review, which set out the UK’s commitment to the Indo Pacific, to implementing it as the UK and India embark on a transformative decade of cooperation under the 2030 Roadmap.”
His predecessor Andrew Fleming welcomed Gareth on twitter stating that he met him first in London a few months ago. He added, Gareth is an excellent diplomat who quietly supported the visit of Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao.
He has worked on Indo-Pacific issues since 2018. He led the work which secured the UK’s ASEAN Dialogue Status in 2021 and was part of the cross-government team that developed the Indo-Pacific tilt framework published in March 2021 in the UK Government’s Integrated Review. He studied economics and development at University College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies.