The announcement of Sergio Gor as Washington’s next Ambassador to India has been met with a mixture of curiosity, unease and only restrained optimism. His appointment is not just about who will sit in the imposing chancery in New Delhi, but about the message being sent by President Donald Trump at a moment when ties between the two democracies are fragile, to put it mildly. Mr Gor is not a career diplomat.

He is, instead, a political loyalist who has worked his way through the Republican establishment, raised millions for Mr Trump’s campaign, and even co-published books authored by the President and his family. His proximity to the Trump clan is unquestionable; his diplomatic pedigree, however, is virtually non-existent. For India, this raises an immediate question: should New Delhi welcome this unusual envoy as a potential fast-track to the Oval Office, or see his lack of experience as a liability in managing a........

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