Prior to his appointment as the Foreign Secretary he served as India's ambassador to Myanmar, Indonesia and Nepal and as its High Commissioner to Mauritius.He also served as the Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries — an autonomous think tank specializing in studies on economic and trade related issues.Prior to his appointment as the Foreign Secretary, he was India's Ambassador to Myanmar, Indonesia and Nepal and High Commissioner to Mauritius.[3] As foreign secretary, he visited China in March 2005 for the 15th meeting of the India-China Joint Working Group on the boundary issue.[5] Additionally, Saran is a Member of the Board of Advisors of the Global Panel Foundation, a respected NGO that works behind the scenes in crisis areas around the world.