Born and raised in Hyderabad, Vani Rao pursued her graduation from St. Francis, post which she did M.A. Political Science from the University of Hyderabad, and was later selected for the Indian Foreign Services (IFS) in 1994.
“I aspired to be a civil servant after completing high school,” she says, adding, “My first assignment was in Mexico, where I worked for two years. Every diplomat should learn one foreign language, so I learnt Spanish, since people in Mexico are Hispanic.”
In a career spanning over 23 years, Vani assumed several positions, including Under Secretary in West Europe Division in Ministry of External Affairs, Director of Foreign Relations to the US and Canada (Delhi), Deputy Ambassador in Indian embassy in Israel and presently is the Joint Secretary, Overseas Indian affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
Describing the challenges in her journey, she says, “Relocating from one country to another was very difficult. I have relocated to more than eight countries. It takes about six months to understand a country’s culture and establish a working relationship, but adjusting to new culture and people takes a while.”
“Personally too,” she continues, “Winding up before you relocate is a huge task. Also, since you are relocating internationally frequently, you are not in regular touch with your friends and family (back then it was more difficult due to lack of technology). I used to spend a lot on family calls, and you can’t visit your family as and when you like.”
However, the 49-year-old feels representing India has been her biggest motivation. “I command a lot of respect outside the country. We also have a lot more freedom and creativity to do our work. I got the opportunity to work with some of the finest people abroad, which I couldn’t have met otherwise.”
Ascribing her success to her family, Vani shares, “My husband works in the renewable energy sector and has been relocating along with me. He has been flexible in terms of adjusting his career to that of mine. I have a daughter studying in Grade 11, so even she had to adjust to this lifestyle.”
Now, as Indian Ambassador to Finland and Estonia, she is the first Telugu woman in this position. “I am responsible for the bilateral relations between the two countries,” she says, adding, “Finland is known for R&D and cutting-edge technologies, so being a Telugite, I would like to explore more opportunities of working with both the state governments — AP and Telangana.”
