Ambassador Salman Haidar is a former Foreign Secretary. He served as the Indian ambassador to the United Kingdom, China, and Bhutan, and as first secretary and deputy to the ambassador in Afghanistan.

He also served as head of the Diplomatic Service, Secretary East, and spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs and later chief of protocol, among other diplomatic positions.

In 1977–80, Amb Haidar was the minister/deputy permanent representative of India at the United Nations in New York. He also writes a weekly column on political affairs for The Statesman, since 2000.

Haidar received a B.A., with honors, in English from Delhi University and a B.A., with honors, in English from Cambridge University.