(L-R) Sahil Goel, IAL President; Ambassador Kumar and His wife; Selvaraj Alagumalai, Consul General of India to Luxembourg;
Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu
On Thursday 26 February 2026, the Indian Association Luxembourg (IAL) and Indian Business Chamber of Luxembourg (IBCL) hosted a Farewell Reception for the Ambassador of India to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, Saurabh Kumar.
Ambassador Kumar is retiring following a distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service spanning three decades during which he served in Myanmar, Iran, China and Italy before Belgium and Luxembourg.
The event was held at the Hotel Le Royal in Luxembourg city and 50 people gathered to honour the ambassador's service to the Indian diaspora and his role in fostering India-Luxembourg and EU relations.
Sahil Goel, IAL President, opened proceedings and recapped the ambassador’s 37 years of diplomatic service. He also showed a brief video of the Indian community in Luxembourg, highlighting its significant growth; currently there are over 6,000 people of Indian descent in the Grand Duchy, many of them being enticed by jobs in technology. It is the 9th largest international community in Luxembourg. He added that the IAL will be celebrating its 35th anniversary later this year.
Ambassador Kumar addressed the event and said he was delighted to address members of both the IAL and IBCL. He recalled his first visit and the setting up of the embassy in Brussels.
He referenced the Agenda 2030 document which outlines the aims of India-EU relationship, and also revealed that Grand Duke Guillaume is scheduled to visit India next year, starting with a state visit to Delhi and followed by a business delegation visiting other cities.
He reflected on the information shared in the video, commenting that the growth in the Indian community in Luxembourg has been remarkable.
Sahil Goel then introduced a second video which reflected on the ambassador’s career, revealing he started out his professional career as an engineer before joining the Indian Foreign Service.
Himanshu Upadhyay, IBCL President, and Selvaraj Alagumalai, Consul General of India to Luxembourg, made a presentation of flowers and books to the ambassador and his wife.
The ambassador then spoke briefly to respond to a small number of questions submitted by attendees in advance of the event, revealing an insight into the life of an ambassador, including presenting an image of India abroad. He also talked up the importance of the work of organisations such as the IAL and IBCL for the Indian diaspora.
The event continued with a networking cocktail.
ED
