2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 21, 2026 05:27 AM IST
Phunchok Stobdan, former Ambassador of India to Kyrgyzstan, passed away on Sunday. He was 67.
Stobdan served as a Joint Director in the National Security Council Secretariat, and was Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. He was also the founding president of the Ladakh International Centre, Leh.
Stobdan was a senior fellow for Eurasian Security at Delhi Policy Group, a think tank. His last policy brief at the group — ‘A Strategic Dead End for India’s Eurasian Connectivity’ — was published in March, in which he wrote about the Chabahar project, and the war in Iran.
In a note, Delhi Policy Group wrote that Stoban was a distinguished diplomat-scholar, and a prominent member of India’s strategic community.
Amitabh Mattoo, Dean and Professor, School of International Studies, JNU, wrote in a post on X: “Deeply saddened by the passing of Phunchok Stobdan—a distinguished scholar, diplomat, and profound voice on Himalayan geopolitics. I had the privilege of bringing him to Jammu as Professor during my tenure as VC. He will be greatly missed. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti.”
Stobdan also served as a Professor at the Centre for Strategic and Regional Studies in J&K. He also wrote two books – ‘The Great Game in the Buddhist Himalayas: India and China’s Quest for Strategic Dominance’, published in ߣ and ‘India and Central Asia: The Strategic Dimension’, published in 2020.
