Slumdog Millionaire novelist made India’s foreign office spokesperson

India has named Vikas Swarup, whose novel turned into multiple Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”, as the new spokesman of the country’s Foreign Ministry.

Senior career diplomat Vikas Swarup will replace Syed Akbaruddin as the spokesman from next month, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

Swarup, a 1986 batch Indian Foreign Service, is the author of “Q&A,” the book that provided the script for the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” made in 2008.

Akbaruddin is being promoted as additional secretary and will be the chief coordinator for the India-Africa Summit to be held here in October and expected to be attended by more than 40 heads of state and government.

Beginning his career with a posting in Turkey, Swarup has served in Indian diplomatic missions in Washington, Addis Ababa, London, Pretoria (as deputy high commissioner) and as Consul General in Osaka-Kobe in Japan, before returning to New Delhi in 2013.

He also has the experience of India’s neighbourhood during 2003-06 when Swarup dealt with Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, besides handling the office of the foreign minister.