Abhay Kumar is an Indian poet-diplomat known for his poems about Chandaryaan-2, Earth, and the planets of the solar system. |
At the age of two, his family moved to Chhabilapur village in Bihar’s Nalanda district. |
His grandfather was a wrestler who competed in local championships. |
In 1998, he represented India at the 19th World Universities Debating Championship in Manila. |
Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, he taught Geography in Delhi and cleared the UPSC CSE at 22. |
Abhay secured the 71st rank in the UPSC CSE 2003 for the Indian Foreign Service. |
After training at LBSNAA and FSI, he worked at the MEA focusing on East and South Africa. |
He studied Russian in Moscow State University and served in the Indian Embassy in Moscow. |
From 2007, he handled trade affairs at the Indian Embassy and authored 'River Valley to Silicon Valley.' |
He served as a diplomat in St. Petersburg and as Under Secretary of Digital Diplomacy in Delhi. |
He initiated the celebration of Indian Foreign Service Day in 2011. |
Abhay worked in Nepal, Brazil, and also took on roles as a poet titled ‘World Poet’ by Vijay Seshadri. |
He composed the ‘Earth Anthem’ sung in 8 languages, including the UN languages, Hindi, and Nepali. |
His anthems include those for SAARC, Chandrayaan missions, and all solar system planets. |
The book ‘The Seduction of Delhi’ was a finalist for a writing award in 2015. |
Abhay has edited various poetry collections and proposed the International Day of Diplomats. |
He was the youngest Indian ambassador appointed in 2019, serving in Madagascar and Comoros. |
In 2022, he became Deputy Director General of ICCR for cultural events during India’s G-20 presidency. |
Abhay translated works by Kalidas and Brazilian poets and had his poem included in Cornell University’s curriculum. |
His planetary consciousness art has been displayed globally, including at the Library of Congress. |
He is fluent in multiple languages and his book-length poem ‘Monsoon’ focuses on climate change. |
His poetry has been a subject of academic research and he maintains his well-being through exercise and meditation. |